Woods pays tribute to 'remarkable' Nelson

Tiger Woods and a tearful Jim Furyk have joined the long list of tributes to Byron Nelson following the death of the American legend yesterday at the age of 94.

Woods, competing this week at the American Express world championship at The Grove near Watford, said: “It’s very unfortunate for all of golf.

“Hopefully he went easy. Hopefully there wasn’t any complications and he moved on to a better place.

“He was so kind-hearted, so kind and so soft and so genuine. He always looked at you and talked to you with extreme interest – and you don’t find that with everybody you meet.

“But Byron, you just felt very comfortable any time you ever spoke to him. He just had a softness about him that was very unique.

“I’ve got so many memories, either playing at the Nelson or him hosting the Champions Dinner at Augusta or just talking to him on the phone occasionally here and there.

“Mr Nelson was great. I mean, he always kept up with the game of golf, always followed the guys, how they were playing, what they were playing in.

“It was truly remarkable, some of the things that he was able to remember from his playing days back in the 40s. That’s 60 years ago, which is pretty remarkable.”

In 1945 Nelson won 11 consecutive events on the US Tour, a record which still stands.

Woods tomorrow starts his bid for a sixth in a row, but when asked if 11 was possible in this day and age the world number one said: “Probably not.

“The competition is so much deeper now. I actually talked to him about this, he said he had to beat four or five guys every week and when you’re hot that’s not that hard to do.

“That’s not the case any more. It’s 40 or 50 now, so it’s a lot different.”

Furyk had dinner with Nelson during his tournament in May and was visibly moved when he stated: “It’s a sad day for golf. A lot of his feats will never be matched.”