AT&T Byron Nelson Preview, TV Times

Billy Horschel is defending champion at Trinity Forest in Dallas

Billy Horschel defends the title
Billy Horschel defends the title
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The PGA Tour heads to Texas this week for the AT&T Byron Nelson. Billy Horschel defends and Jordan Spieth will be seeking victory in his home city of Dallas.

AT&T Byron Nelson Preview, TV Times

Billy Horschel is defending champion in the AT&T Byron Nelson this week on the PGA Tour. The tournament boasts a strong field including five players in the top-25 on the Official World Golf Ranking.

There’s a change of venue for this year’s tournament. The event moves from TPC Las Colinas to Trinity Forest Golf Club. It’s quite a different prospect from last season. Despite its name, Trinity Forest is actually a treeless course. Set over a former landfill site to the south west of Dallas, the layout was designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore.

Sergio Garcia is a two-time winner

Sergio Garcia is a two-time winner

Sergio Garcia won this event back in 2004 as well as in 2016. If he were to win again this year, he’d join Tom Watson and Sam Snead as the only players to triumph three times in the event (Watson managed four victories.)

Jordan Spieth seeks hometown success but his form in this event hasn’t been great in the past. His best result is a tie for 16th which he recorded as a teenager back in 2010. He’ll be hoping the change of venue brings him better fortune.

This tournament began life back in 1926 as the Dallas Open. It was renamed as the Byron Nelson Classic in 1968. Since then Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Payne Stewart, Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods have been champions.

Last year, Billy Horschel came through a playoff against Jason Day to win for the first time in over two years. Day missed a short putt on the first playoff hole to hand Horshcel the title.

Rain could be an issue at the start and end of the week and gusting winds might be a factor throughout the tournament.

Venue: Trinity Forest GC, Dallas, Texas Date: May 17-20 Course stats: par 71, 7,380 yards Purse: $7,700,000 Defending champion: Billy Horschel (-12)

How to watch the AT&T Byron Nelson

TV Coverage: Thursday 17 – Sky Sports Golf from 5pm (featured groups) Friday 18 – Sky Sports Golf from 5pm (featured groups) Saturday 19 – Sky Sports Golf from 6pm, Sky Sports Main Event from 9.30pm Sunday 20 – Sky Sports Golf from 6pm, Sky Sports Main Event from 9.30pm

Not a Sky Sports customer and want to watch the AT&T Byron Nelson?

Why not buy a Now TV pass? For £7.99 you can get a day pass if you wish to watch one of the rounds or, for just £12.99, you can get a week pass to see the whole tournament.

Buy a Now TV Sky Sports Day Pass for £7.99

Buy a Now TV Sky Sports Week Pass for £12.99

Players to watch:

Jimmy Walker – The Texan is showing a welcome return to form following his bout of Lyme disease. He was tied second last week in The Players Championship.

Marc Leishman – A great wind player, this venue should suit his game. He has a couple of recent top-10 finishes to build on.

Beau Hossler – He’s been playing well with a recent runner’s-up finish in the Houston Open. This is his home club.

Key Hole: There will be interest surrounding the 3rd and 11th holes as they share a green. At some 35,000 square feet, it’s one of the largest greens in North America.

Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly. 

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?