DALLAS (1080 KRLD)- The PGA's AT&T Byron Nelson began Thursday at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney. The Byron Nelson was canceled last year and is moving from Trinity Forest Golf Club in southern Dallas.
Courtesy Alan Scaia
"Obviously, it puts an international spotlight on our community, which I think is fantastic," says McKinney Mayor George Fuller. "We are the greatest city in this country, and now, this country and the rest of the world can see that."
Capacity is limited to 25%, up to 12,500 people per day. The PGA has set up hand washing stations and hand sanitizer along the course. Fans will be required to wear masks. Tickets are digital.
The tournament had been played at Trinity Forest three years and in Las Colinas prior to that. This is the first time the Byron Nelson is being played in Collin County.
"We offer such a lot in McKinney and North Texas in general, but of course, I'm partial to McKinney," Fuller says. "Now, when corporations are looking at relocations and thinking about where their employees and workforce are going to live, you're talking about a community that hosts an international PGA event. It certainly makes a statement and paints a picture of who we are and what we're capable of. Not just anybody can host an event like this."
Despite limited capacity, the Byron Nelson is bringing thousands of visitors to the city and North Texas. Fuller says the PGA can help McKinney establish itself as a destination while also helping hotels and businesses across the area recover from the pandemic.
"Nothing gets the attention of hospitality, retail and restaurants like an international PGA event," he says. "It's going to be here the next five years, and we believe much, much longer than that."
Fuller says the Byron Nelson is bringing business to the city, but it has also raised $167 million for Momentous Institute over the past 53 years.
"That helps children and families who've been through traumatic situations, just helping them get back into normal lives," he says. "At the end of the day, it's not just an event, it's not just something that brings visibility to the city, but it helps people, family and children in a very real and tangible way."
The AT&T Byron Nelson runs through Sunday.
