Nelson Versus Colonial

This week's EDS Byron Nelson Championship in Irving, Texas, is the first stop in the Tour's annual two-tournament swing through the Dallas--Fort Worth area. The Bank of America Colonial will be the next week in Fort Worth. Here's how the two events match up. --G.V.S.

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NELSON	 	WHO WINS AND WHY	 	COLONIAL
Byron Nelson	X	ICON Both are legends, but Nelson has always been a nicer guy	 	Ben Hogan
Pavilion, the best pick-up joint in town	X	HOT SPOT Push	X	Margaritaville. It's all about the jigger and salt
Irving, home of high-rise office parks, expressways and the Dallas Cowboys	 	HOST CITY Fort Worth, because there's a real city Where the West Begins	X	Fort Worth, a former rail center with a once-bustling stockyard
Modern TPC course, flanked by high-end housing	 	COURSE Puh-leeze!	X	Short, old-school track that demands precise shotmaking
A waterfall and a pond guard the treacherous, 196-yard par-3 17th	 	FEARED HOLE(S) It's not Amen Corner, but players tread lightly around the 'Shoe	X	Pars at the Horrible Horseshoe--numbers 3, 4 and 5--are hard-won
What clubhouse? Players use the chic Four Seasons Resort Hotel	 	CLUBHOUSE By how much did Nixon beat McGovern?	X	A classic built in the 1930s
Bronze statue of Lord Byron	 	COMMEMORATIVES Wall of Fame is to the Colonial as the Green Monster is to Fenway Park	X	Wall of Fame listing past champions
$1,116,000 and a figurine of Nelson	X	WINNER'S REWARD The bad plaid never leaves the locker room	 	$1,008,000 and a red plaid sport coat
Texas Stadium	 	NEARBY ATTRACTION With the Cheerleaders off-duty in May, stick with the more natural attractions	X	Fort Worth Zoo
Well-dressed, high-powered executive type	 	TYPICAL FEMALE FAN Pros have a thing for halter tops and low-rider jeans	X	Not-so-well-heeled fit and tanned type
BMW-driving preppie on the lookout for other swingers	 	TYPICAL MALE FAN Mama, don't let your sons grow up to stalk the Nelson galleries	X	Pickup-driving golf nut on the lookout for best swings
In 2000 Jesper Parnevik won while wearing Pepto-Bismol--colored slacks	 	TROUSERS HIGHLIGHT Nice boxers, Finchy	X	In 1993 Ian Baker-Finch removed his pants to play a shot out of the water
Thanks to Byron, Tiger usually plays	X	BUZZ If Tiger is stalking, America is talking	 	Got Annika, once
Struggling Tiger can't find the fairway, barely misses the playoff ... and oh, yeah, Sergio García wins	X	2004 STORYLINE See above	¬†	Tiger skips tournament once again, calls the course obsolete ... and oh, yeah, Steve Flesch wins

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CORBIS (NELSON)

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JOHN G. ZIMMERMAN (HOGAN)

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RICHARD CUMMINS/CORBIS (FORT WORTH)

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JAMES D. SMITH/ICON SMI (COWBOY)

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DAVID BERGMAN (FLESCH IN JACKET)

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PAUL A. SOUDERS/CORBIS (KOALA)

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JONATHAN FERREY/GETTY IMAGES (WOODS)

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LM OTERO/AP (PARNEVIK)

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