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Byron
Nelson's Congressional Gold Medal
Debuts
The EDS
Byron Nelson Championship honored the life and legacy of Byron
Nelson on Saturday with the Congressional Gold Medal Celebration
wedding lawn of the Four Seasons Resort. Last September, Nelson
became the first golfer and only the fifth athlete to be awarded a
Congressional Gold Medal when the United States Congress voted
unanimously to bestow on him the nation's highest civilian honor.
On Saturday, CBS Sports anchor Jim Nantz emceed the ceremony
that included Peggy Nelson and Congressman Michael C. Burgess and
representatives of the U.S. Mint. Mrs. Nelson and Burgess unveiled
the medal design at the conclusion of the ceremony. The gold medal
features Nelson in his signature hat on the front with the years of
his life. The back of the medal celebrates Nelson's legacy as a
player, a teacher, a humanitarian and a champion. The medal back
also includes Nelson and his signature swing with a golf ball
background.
Mrs. Nelson will accept the official gold medal
at a ceremony later this year at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Nelson is only the 132nd individual in
U.S. history to receive
the honor. George Washington was the first to be honored in 1776.
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Moment
of Silence Observed in Memory of
Byron |
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 For
the first time in PGA TOUR history, official play was
suspended for a moment of silence on Saturday in memory of
legendary golfer and philanthropist Byron Nelson. At 3 p.m.,
the PGA TOUR horn was sounded and golfers, fans and volunteers
all paused to remember the gentleman of the game who passed
away at age 94 last September.
Following the brief
moment of silence, a squadron of four F/A - 18s from NAS JRB
Fort Worth conducted a flyover at 275 knots 1,000 feet over
the 18th hole and the Byron Nelson statue.
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Nelson
Memorial Pins are Mainstay at
Tournament |
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 Golfers,
fans and volunteers alike are commemorating the memory of
Byron Nelson by wearing the official memorial pin. The oval
keepsake features the silhouette of the tournament's namesake
as well as this year's Championship slogan, "Byron's Work for
the Kids Continues."
The limited edition pins are on
sale for $2 at the Championship Golf Shop Presented by
MasterCard at Champions Way. Proceeds
from all merchandise sales go to Salesmanship Club Youth and
Family Centers, the primary
beneficiary of the EDS Byron Nelson Championship.
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Technology
Broadcasts PGA TOUR Player Interviews at EDS Byron Nelson
Championship |
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In
years past, only a limited number of people were able to catch
player interviews at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship. EDS
and Cisco have changed that.
By using Internet
Protocol technology, audio and video are beamed across Cisco's
network and appear on multiple screens in venues around the
course.
EDS and Cisco implemented IPTV technology for
the first time last year. And now they've made the capability
even better, improving the picture and audio, as well as
widening the shot to include both the player and the
interviewer.
With IPTV, hundreds of media and
tournament guests will be able to see the action as it happens
at the 2007 EDS Byron Nelson Championship.
For more on
EDS, visit www.eds.com.
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Sponsor
Spotlight: Cadillac |
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 As
official vehicle of the EDS Byron Nelson Championship,
Cadillac provides each Championship participant a current
model from the family of Cadillac vehicles to utilize during
their stay in Irving. Cadillac also
provides additional player transportation throughout the week
for scheduled activities.
Cadillac is also presenting
sponsor of the Gold Draw. This invitation-only event held on
Monday of tournament week is where Gold Pro-Am partipants draw
for the PGA TOUR professional they will play with. Golf fans
can visit the Cadillac Tour locations around the course to see
new Cadillac models and receive free golf balls.
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Sponsor
Spotlight: Humana |
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 Humana
is the presenting sponsor of the pairings sheets, information
centers and corporate service booths this year. They are also
presenting sponsor of the shuttle bus staging area at
Champions
Way and the directional signage on
Champions
Way.
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Sponsor
Spotlight: XM Radio |
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 XM
Radio is offering fans the opportunity to try out a free XM
radio rental during the Championship. These free radio rentals
offer fans a chance to listen to live PGA TOUR coverage while
taking in the action on Tournament Players Course and
Cottonwood Valley Course.
Spectators who wish to try
out XM Radio can visit any of the three XM booths located on
Champions
Way at the entrance of the
Championship Golf Shop presented by MasterCard, across from
the TPC No. 1 fairway, and near TPC No. 16 green.
XM
will also be selling service and products at their Championship
Way location. Part of the proceeds
from any on-site sales goes to the Championships main
beneficiary, Salesmanship Club Youth and Family
Centers.
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Media
Information |
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SATURDAY
ATTENDANCE
84,000
TELEVISION
COVERAGE:
Sunday, April 29:
CBS
2-5 p.m. CDT
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
Sunday, April
29
Sunrise Service featuring Tom
Lehman,
6:30 a.m.
Final Round
Closing
Ceremony on TPC No. 18 Green
CONTACT US:
Tracy
Cobb, Director of Communications
E-mail:
tcobb@scdallas.org
Lyndsay Lovell, Communications Coordinator
E-mail:
llovell@scdallas.org
Kayla Craddick, Communications Intern
E-mail:
kcraddick@scdallas.org
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Our
Title Sponsor
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