Colonial

So I'm at the Colonial right now.

The two DFW tour stops are very different from the SHO. The Byron Nelson and the Colonial are EVENTS. What I mean is, during the weeks of those tournaments the entire community responds to the PGA Tour's presence. Many of those attend aren't necessarily golf fans but go to meet up with friends, hang out, and watch people (and occassionally golf). They're closer to the Rodeo than the Shell Houston Open. Think how much attention the rodeo gets while it is in town.

I think the SHO is getting there, though. That kind of community support doesn't happen overnight though and Houston is still getting used to the tournament being out in Humble, and it having a good field.

But both tournaments have a mystique about them that I doubt the SHO will be able to match. Hell, practically no other PGA Tour tournament. It's because of Nelson and Hogan. Byron Nelson sat by the final green and greeted players as they finished for years. It's his tournament.

While not as directly involved in the founding of the Colonial, this is and always will be Hogan's tournament. He won it five times. No one else has won it more than twice. From his statue by the clubhouse, to the Hogan memorbilia display, to the narrow ball-striker's paradise that is the course itself, his presence is unmistakeable. Not to sound over-dramatic, but it's almost spooky being here. It's feels like you could round a corner and run into him...white Kangol cap pulled low, cigarette in hand, with that famous steely glaze sizing you up. Chilling, but I AM a nerd that way.