If you go to the tournament’s website here and look at the url, the natural breaks in the letters seem to spell out something other than AT&T Byron Nelson, and they don’t even mention the championshipness of the event in the url. So this week, get ready for the Att, by Ron Nelson!

About the Sponsor

Get ready for… The 2015 Battle of AT&T Ad Characters! First up, the cute AT&T worker whose name is apparently Lily!

Second, we have the challenger, the Indian tech guy. ITG also starts off strong by, taking over the jumbotron in Jerry World! Also note the cactus that isn’t really a cactus at the beginning.

How’s Lily going to respond? By reading people’s minds!

In a final move ITG displays his likableness by explaining how spicy most people like their food. Not aghckgh spicy.

So who’s going to win the AT&T Showdown? In a surprise move, it’s AT&T kids!

I have to say, it’s impressive how many non-terrible ad campaigns AT&T had over the past few years. But not enough to tear me from Sprint and their unlimited data that I’m using to write this in a car using tethering.

About the Tournament

If you couldn’t guess by the name, the first Byron Nelson Classic (in 1944 when it was called the Texas Victory Open) was won by Byron Nelson! I’m guessing the Victory part of the name had something to do with what they were hoping would happen in WWII, but knowing Texas, it easily could have something to Texas fighting off some “enemy” of theirs.

It didn’t take long for Lord Byron (not this Lord Byron) to get his name on the tournament, which happened in 1968. Impressive since it was the the only PGA Tour event named after a player (and is now 1 of 2 along with the Arnold Palmer Invite).

Since then they’ve gone through a variety of different sponsors, all the while the tournament being known as the “Byron Nelson Championship”. Take that AT&T.

About the Course

We’re back at another TPC this week! A week or two of not playing at a TPC had me worried that the PGA Tour didn’t care about the quality the courses they play, but I’m wiping my brow after seeing those three little letters in front of the course’s name — this one has to be quality.

TPC Four Seasons Resort Dallas at Las Colinas hosts this week, measuring 7,166 yards at a par 70. Par 70s are always fun since you can be 9 over and still break 80! I’m sure that’s exactly what the players are thinking on the first tee this week.

Originally designed in 1981, the course got a facelift in 2008 by D.A. Weibring and Steve Wolfard, with player consultants, get this, Harrison Frazar and J.J. Henry. I’m always curious as to how much input those consultants have, or if it’s just so they can put other people’s names on their website. I’m guessing they had to have a decent amount of input, considering Frazar and Henry don’t exactly elicit that “OMG I have to play this course because this one guy was a consultant” feeling.

Overall, and these aren’t my opinions since I’ve never played it, the course is decently bad. In a quite infamous list from GolfWorld that surveyed PGA Tour pros and ranked all the courses they play on tour, TCP Whatever finished 49th out of 52 courses. Considering it doesn’t have a named stretch of holes though, I’d’ve ranked it much higher on that fact alone.

Last Year

Brendon Todd cruised home with a final round bogey free 66 to win by two, capturing his first (and at this point only) PGA Tour title. Coming in second was Mike Weir who, bless his heart, has been absolute trash this year. Though as easy as it is to make fun of a player who hasn’t made a cut since last October (that’s 11 missed in a row), I really do admire him for going back and competing every week when his poor play is noticeable. When you have idiots like me calling him out for how bad he’s playing, it’s gotta be tough to tee it up each week. Hopefully, Weir can use the good memories he’s had at this course from last year to play well. We’re definitely rooting for him.

What to Watch For

100 likes — 100!

More crappy weather — We’re staying in Texas, and apparently having the least Texas like weather you can have. Rain / thunderstorms are forecasted for the entire week again. Hopefully the weather improves because watching 3somes off split tees isn’t the ideal way to watch a golf tournament on Sunday.