In 1945, Byron Nelson put together one of sports’ most remarkable and enduring records by winning eleven professional tournaments in a row. Nelson finished the 1945 season with 18 victories, while also recording a record for lowest scoring average (68.33) that stood until Tiger Woods broke it in 2000.
While some contend that Nelson’s streak was aided by limited fields after World War II, the scoring average speaks for itself. An average of 68.33 is going to win a lot of tournaments, regardless of the competition. Further, Nelson did play against the likes of Sam Snead, Ben Hogan and Jimmy Demaret. Hogan and Snead both also won tournaments in 1945.
Byron Nelson’s 11 tournament winning streak could have been longer: he also apparently had a twelfth victory, but it did not count as an official event because the purse was too small.
| Date | Tournament | Score | Won By |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 8-11 | Miami International Four Ball | NA | |
| March 16 – 19 | Charlotte Open | 70-68-66-68–272 | 4 |
| March 23 – 25 | Greater Greensboro Open | 70-67-68-66–271 | 8 |
| March 30 – April 1 | Durham Open | 71-69-71-65–276 | 5 |
| April 5 – 8 | Atlanta Open | 64-69-65-65–263 | 9 |
| June 7 – 10 | Montreal Open | 63-68-69-68–268 | 10 |
| June 14 – 17 | Philadelphia Inquirer | 68-68-70-63–269 | 2 |
| June 29 – July 1 | Chicago Victory National Open | 69-68-68-70–275 | 7 |
| July 9 – 15 | PGA Championship | Match Play | |
| July 26 – 29 | Tam O’Shanter Open | 66-68-68-67–269 | 11 |
| August 2 – 4 | Canadian Open | 68-72-72-68–280 | 4 |
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