Byron Nelson

In 1945 Nelson won 18 PGA Tour events and finished first in 11 consecutive starts. The conditions of wartime competition are part of the context, but the consistency still defies easy comparison.

He combined that peak with five major titles and a swing that helped shape modern teaching. Nelson's reputation among peers was built as much on the quality of his strikes as on the numbers.

Nelson's 1945 record is debated because of wartime fields, yet winning 11 starts in succession still demanded an extraordinary standard of play every week.