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By Brett Avery
PGATOUR.COM Contributor

Tom Watson was an immovable force as the world's best golfer.

A PGA TOUR-leading five tournament triumphs in 1977. Five more in 1978. Another five in 1979. Then seven in 1980.

Three of those came in consecutive EDS Byron Nelson Championships, the first in 1978 by a stroke over Lee Trevino, then a playoff against Bill Rodgers and finally a one-stroke margin over Rodgers.

Starting in 1978, Tom Watson won the EDS Byron Nelson Championship for three years in succession. (Greenwood/WireImage)

Watson seemed to own plenty of courses in that era -- his run of British Open titles was warming up -- but the way he dominated at Preston Trail GC made him the Big T in the Big D.

What made his play at Preston Trails especially touching, though, was his relationship with the tournament's namesake, who became his mentor and one of his best friends. Nelson died last September at the age of 94.

"I just remember always having Byron there, looking over my shoulder, pumping me up, telling me I was swinging well at the ball even if I wasn't," Watson recalls of the years at Preston Trails.

"He was always a positive for me, and I liked the golf course. I just felt like I knew how to play it. Back then I was more acutely aware with how to play a golf course. Today I play more to the yardage but back then I thought about every situation you could be in on the golf course."

Watson had plenty to think about early in his career. The Stanford University product led after 54 holes in the 1974 U.S. Open, the famed Massacre at Winged Foot, only to melt with 41 over the final nine and tie for fifth behind Hale Irwin.

He also was the midway leader the next year at Medinah CC, matching the 36-hole record of 135, but went 78-77 and spiraled to a tie for ninth, three shots out of the playoff between Lou Graham and John Mahaffey.

At about that time Nelson approached Watson, who had broken through in the 1974 Western Open, and offered to counsel him on how to finish off tournaments in a commanding style. It was no surprise when Watson posted his second title at the '75 Nelson, winning by two shots over Bob E. Smith. A few months later he captured his first major, the British Open at Carnoustie.

Watson had 10 career titles, including two British Opens, when he triumphed for a second time at the Nelson in 1978. He twice spurned Sunday rushes by Trevino, making a nifty up-and-down par from beside the last green. Watson's $40,000 first-prize check elevated his career earnings to $1,013,226, making the seventh-year pro the fastest career millionaire in TOUR history.

The next year Watson again came down to another climactic finish, after winning the Heritage Classic and Tournament of Champions and placing second twice in his five most recent starts. Jerry Pate, Lanny Wadkins and Larry Nelson all fumbled their way through crucial moments during the weekend, leaving Watson and Rodgers in a playoff.

Rodgers, who banged his 3-iron approach off the flagstick at the 72nd hole, looked like a sure winner when he was in front of the par-5 15th green in the two while Watson rested in a greenside bunker. But Rodgers caught his pitch thin, the ball caromed off the stick to three feet away, then Watson nearly holed out and made birdie. Rodgers pulled his putt.

"Tom had one great break," Nelson told Rodgers during the award ceremony, "that's when your second shot didn't go in the cup at the last hole."

The two men reprised their staredown and once again Rodgers, the Texan, came up short. Watson already had four victories in his pocket (San Diego, Los Angeles, Tournament of Champions and New Orleans) yet won at Preston Trails despite missing 25 greens in regulation.

"The guy's phenomenal," Rodgers admitted after his closing 67 came up a shot short. "He can hit it out of the crap all week and still win, which shows you what a great player he really is.

Another victory in 1981 would have thrust Watson onto one of the most difficult lists to join in golf, appearing beside four-peaters Tom Morris Jr. (1868-70 and 1872 British Opens), Walter Hagen (1924-27 PGA Championships) and Gene Sarazen (1926 and 1928-30 Miami Open). Yet it would take another two decades before the group became a quartet with Tiger Woods (2000-03 Bay Hill Invitationals).

Watson began with a 66 in his quest for a fourth but slowly backed up each day with 70-72-73. Bruce Lietzke matched Watson at 280, then won a one-hole playoff when Watson three-putted from 35 feet.

"It wasn't the real Tom Watson out there today," Lietzke said. "I really didn't think about winning, Tom has control of this golf course, this town and 99 percent of the time his golf game. Today he didn't. He defeated himself more than I beat him."

Watson recalls that week all these years later, admitting "I got into the playoff with smoke and mirrors."

No matter how he characterizes his game, Watson awed everyone with his performances at Preston Trail, which passed the Nelson off to Las Colinas Sports Club in 1982.

"First of all it was a lot of fun because I was winning a lot," Watson said. "But it was also the result of a lot of hard work, I was reaping the benefits of all the hours that I spent when things weren't going right with the golf swing and trying to find a way to make it right.

"And that was probably the most satisfying thing about those years, all the years that I spent beating balls in the dark and the snow and all that, with the dream that someday I could be the best. And for a short period of time I was."