How I Played the Game

Nelson, now 80, is one of golf's immortals for a number of reasons, chief among them the astounding records he set in 1945 when he won 18 major PGA tournaments, 11 of them consecutively, and had an average score of 68.3. During the previous year, he captured eight events, had an average of 69.7 and earned $37,000, more than twice what any professional had ever made. Such triumphs brought him special admiration, for Nelson had grown up in a poor Texas family, had not finished high school, was deeply religious, did not smoke or drink and married the first young woman he ever dated. His modesty shines through in this autobiography, a winning volume in every sense. Photos not seen by PW. (June)