Salesmanship Club of Dallas
EDS Byron Nelson Championship: The Championship has raised more than $100 million for charity.

For Immediate Release: April 22, 2008

2008 Byron Nelson Prize Awarded To Ken Venturi

IRVING, TX – The Salesmanship Club awarded Ken Venturi with the second annual Byron Nelson Prize at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship Opening Ceremony on Tuesday.

The Byron Nelson Prize, sponsored by T. Boone Pickens, is awarded to a person or organization in the golf world who exemplifies the ideals of “giving back” that Byron Nelson personified. Each year the Salesmanship Club solicits nominations for this award from PGA TOUR, Nationwide Tour and Champions Tour professional golfers, as well as golf writers and reporters from around the world.

“I’m very honored to receive this award and be associated with Byron Nelson,” Ken Venturi said. “I owe so much to Byron, and I’ve tried to live by what he taught me— be good to the game, and give back.”

“I don’t think I’ve made many bad decisions in my life, and that’s because I would always ask, would Byron Nelson be proud of me?”

The Salesmanship Club of Dallas awarded $100,000 to the charity of Venturi’s choice. Venturi directed this charitable contribution to the Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital in Loma Linda, Calif.

“Ken has done so much for the game of golf both on and off the course,” Salesmanship Club of Dallas President Randy Engstrom said. “Like Byron, he is one of the most honorable men in golf. Ken is certainly a man of whom Byron was proud and who is clearly deserving of receiving the second Byron Nelson Award.”

About the Byron Nelson Prize

The Byron Nelson Prize is awarded primarily to individuals who possess exceptionally strong leadership character. The selection committee seeks candidates with Byron Nelson’s most notable attributes of honesty, integrity, sportsmanship and perseverance while having a proven track record of “giving back” in the tradition of Byron Nelson.

Candidates for the Byron Nelson Prize can be PGA TOUR professionals, individuals or organizations associated with the PGA TOUR, The PGA of America, The United States Golf Association, the news media, or international golf organizations.

The Salesmanship Club annually appoints a Byron Nelson Prize selection committee that includes Salesmanship Club members, representatives of the PGA TOUR and members of the media. Each year, the Salesmanship Club solicits professional golfers including the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour, Nationwide Tour and European Tour as well as golf officials and media worldwide for nominations to be considered for the Byron Nelson Prize.

About the EDS Byron Nelson Championship

The EDS Byron Nelson Championship has been a premiere event on the PGA TOUR since 1968. DFW's biggest sports attraction and most anticipated social event of the spring unveils an upgraded Pavilion with live music, new VIP area and later weekend hours. And with a dynamic new area for kids and families, there's something for everyone this year. Don't miss the most successful charity event on the PGA TOUR, raising over $100 million for area kids & families. A Great Time. A Greater Cause. Learn more at www.edsbyronnelsonchampionship.org.