PGA Tour: Thursday at the HP Byron Nelson Championship

Featured Columnist Andy Reistetter is on site at the HP Byron Nelson Championship at the Las Colinas Four Seasons Resort and Club in Irving Texas.  

I love the story of Forrest Gump.

Forrest is a simple man who comes from a small hometown and journeys through life in a surreal manner witnessing great events and making an impact in his own creative and fortunate manner.

I feel like the Forrest Gump of the PGA TOUR.

One week I am assisting Bobby Clampett in the studio at the Masters and a few weeks later supporting Jerry Foltz and John Maginnes in the booth at a Nationwide Tour event.

Most weeks I am simply and literally walking along with some of the game's greatest players and meeting people behind the scenes trying to capture the inspiration of the game of golf and the PGA TOUR.    

"For no particular reason ," here are my simple thoughts and observations from Thursday at 2010 HP Byron Nelson Championship.

I wrote an article yesterday about how Byron Nelson inspired men who inspire us —like Tom Watson, who almost won the Open at Turnberry last year at age 59 and Corey Pavin, the 1995 U.S. Open champion who will captain the United States Ryder Cup team this fall.

I met Mrs. Peggy Nelson this morning. I should write an article about what an inspiring woman she is.

Never before on stage in the media center, she took the microphone in her hand to tell people why she wrote her autobiography "Life with Lord Byron ."

"I wanted people to know that he was even better in private life."

We know Byron for his golfing ability, his television commenting skills, and his namesake golf tournament —the very first one ever to have the name of a PGA TOUR golfer.

Byron was, as Peggy would call it, "a total, consistent grace."

As inspiring as Byron was, this woman is incredibly vibrant and beautiful in her own way. 

 She shared how she learned Byron had passed and what she felt at that moment.

" I came back from Bible study, there he was, already gone to heaven, and I chose in that moment to simply be glad for him, knowing where he was.  In fact, I remember I put my hand on his cheek and I said, "I'm so glad you're in heaven now."

People inquire as to whether she misses him?

"I don't want to go down that sad road; there is no end to that one.  So why not be happy for all the great times we had with him and great memories and the fact that he was the real deal, always."

Byron is a "born encourager" and Peggy inspires us to live life to its fullest.

This is the third tournament played after a $10 million redesign by D.A. Weibring with architect Steve Wolfard and player consultants J.J. Henry and Harrison Frazar.

Passing by the 18^th tee, I was drawn to stop and simply gaze at the slightly uphill, slightly dogleg left 429-yard par-4 finishing hole.

It fits the eye perfectly with the green and flagstick visible from the tee.

One quickly picks up the four lakes and cascading water short left of the green back to the area in the fairway where one's drive will hopefully land.

That landing area gradually rises and is clearly defined by the water left and large bunker and live oak trees right.

There is no bailout on the final stretch to the clubhouse.

In its entire beauty one knows this hole is fair and sets a reasonable test for the leader coming to it on Sunday afternoon.

Then I turned around and took a few steps to see the large undulations of the 17^th green.

The hole on this downhill 198-yard par 3 is tucked behind the large front left bunker in a swale area no larger than the size of your garage.

The perspective from the elevated tee says it all about the design of TPC Four Seasons.

Miss the small target area and you are likely to pay the price.

Short left is the Sahara desert; left of the green is a large closely mowed swale area. Firing long leaves a delicate downhill chip and bail out right leaves a long putt over a difficult-to-negotiate swale in the green.

The golfer takes little notice of the water short right of the mammoth green though knowing with certainty the Sunday hole location will be closely guarded by rocks, flowers and, water.

Weather in the form of thunderstorms and tornado warnings have played its card on the first day —delaying play for over three and a half hours.

The afternoon 12:19 tee time for Rickie Fowler playing with two seasoned veterans Tommy Armour III and Steve Elkington, is now 4:04 p.m.

"Welcome to the tee Tommy Armour III who lives around the corner and took some time off from beating the old guys on the Champions Tour to be here with us."

"Next on the tee is Steve Elkington, one of the finest swingers of a golf club in history."

Up next was the PGA TOUR rookie.

"I don't care where he is from ladies this is Rickie Fowler."

Think the "Puma Tiger" and his high school buddy/caddie Joe Skavron are going to have a memorable first round at the HP Byron Nelson?

Image first tee announcer Jim Bannagan livening it up at the Open at St. Andrews in July?

Billy Mayfair, a contender at Quail Hollow a few weeks ago, and the resurrected Paul Stankowski come to the tee —they see Peggy and come over to give her a warm hug.

Do you think the players know inspiration when they see it?

Stankowski is still standing and healthy again; rumors of his retirement are false.

The two time winner on the PGA TOUR is back after an 8-year nightmare of injuries ranging from a torn left wrist cartilage, a torn left ring finger tendon and surgery on both shoulders.

At 5:24 p.m. Jordan Spieth, a 16-year-old amateur tees off on the 10^th hole in his first start on the PGA TOUR.

He drives it 311 yards onto the fairway, wedges from 105 yards to 20 feet and two putts for his first par on the big tour after playing in a high school meet last year.

The Dallas Jesuit student is the youngest ever and the first amateur to get a sponsor's exemption in 15 years at the HP Byron Nelson (after winning the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship last summer).  

He goes on to birdie the 14^th and bogey the 18^th to shoot even par on his first 9 holes before darkness curtails the first round play.

Defending champion Rory Sabbatini fired a 2-under par 68 today.

Jason Day makes Thursday his day posting the round's best score of 4-under par 66.

Joe Durant matches Day's 66 as only 85 players in the field of 156 complete first round play on Thursday.

Fine swinger Elkington is 4-under through 16 holes played.

That means the remaining 71 will resume play at 7:15 a.m. tomorrow before the start of the second round shortly thereafter.

"Emerald City" is the band playing in the Pavilion After Dark on site here at the Four Seasons Resort and Club now that golfing play has concluded for the day.

Imagine that —Forest Gump dancing down the yellow brick road…

Andy Reistetter is a freelance golf writer. He follows the PGA TOUR volunteering and working part time for CBS Sports, NBC Sports, and The Golf Channel.

He resides in Jacksonville Beach, Florida near the PGA TOUR headquarters and home of The PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach.

He enjoys pursuing his passion for the game of golf and everything associated with it. He can be reached through his website www.MrHickoryGolf.net or by e-mailing him to [e-mail]