‘Amateur hour decision’? Nelson officials defend move to McKinney amid fan complaints
AT&T Byron Nelson officials may not want to venture over to the Star-Telegram’s Facebook page anytime soon.
The tournament’s decision to head 30 miles north to TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney starting in 2021 isn’t sitting well with some fans. Most of the complaints centered on the tournament choosing what they see as the wrong TPC location. Those fans were hoping for a return to TPC Four Seasons in Las Colinas, the tournament’s home from 1983 to 2017.
“I will never go all the way to McKinney — might as well drive to Oklahoma,” one reader wrote.
Said another: “Just completed alienated 3/4 of their potential fan base. Sad that the people making the decisions are so clueless.”
And another: “What a complete amateur hour decision by the Salesmanship Club.”
There were supportive comments and readers defending the decision, too, but tournament director Jon Drago addressed the concerns raised by several on the distance to McKinney, especially for those based in Tarrant County.
“The Metroplex isn’t defined by any county or municipal lines anymore,” Drago said. “As our community grows our connectedness by region is just a natural evolution. With the AT&T Byron Nelson moving to McKinney, it is now an easily accessible event for anyone from Fort Worth to Rockwall to attend in less than an hour’s drive. The Sam Rayburn Tollway makes the course an easy drive from Tarrant County, and Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge has improved connectivity to Denton and residents to the Northwest section of the Metroplex.
“Ample, nearby parking has already been identified, and we are working to create the type of ‘must attend’ event that will draw interest from sports and entertainment fans across the entire North Texas region.”
Drago also addressed the notion that the Nelson is moving up north to McKinney because the PGA of America is building its headquarters in nearby Frisco. (It’s worth noting that the PGA Tour is not the entity as the PGA of America, however, a number of people seem to believe they’re the same organization.)
Still, there’s a belief that the Nelson could move to the PGA’s new course once its deal with TPC Craig Ranch expires following the 2025 tournament. The PGA of America is hoping to have its entire campus, including two 18-hole courses, completed by June 2022.
“While the decision to move the AT&T Byron Nelson to TPC Craig Ranch certainly factored in many of the same reasons that the PGA of America chose Collin County as its future home — things like population growth, community and philanthropic support, business support, etc.,” Drago said, “the Salesmanship Club and the PGA Tour chose TPC Craig Ranch because it put the tournament in the best position possible to achieve its goals of putting on a world-class entertainment event, while raising funds and generating awareness for the programs of the Momentous Institute.
“Momentous is the reason the Salesmanship Club ever got into the business of golf, and given the current climate, our support of Momentous and its life-changing work is more critical than ever.”
The Salesmanship Club, which runs the Nelson, is no stranger to TPC Craig Ranch. They ran the now-Korn Ferry Tour Championships at the course in 2008 and 2012, and those were met with positive feedback.
Drago said the initial feedback he’s heard from PGA Tour players has been “incredibly positive.” Defending Nelson champion Sung Kang practices out of TPC Craig Ranch, as well as other professional players. “We think the location will be a huge hit.”
Dates for the 2021 tournament have not been finalized, but it’s expected to remain in May.
This story was originally published April 15, 2020 at 12:08 PM.
