TOUR Insider: These Texans had true grit for the game

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If you want to get a true taste of what Texas is all about, you've got to visit Fort Worth. That's where you'll see honest-to-goodness cowboys with starched shirts and ten-gallon hats that don't look out of place. You'll find the Stockyards, Sundance Square, the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame (where Walt Garrison is the only Dallas Cowboy enshrined), and Billy Bob's, the world's largest honkytonk.

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They also play a little golf in Fort Worth, which this week will host the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. The site is the Colonial Country Club, which draws universal praise from players on the PGA TOUR as one of their favorite stops. It's a course that permits players of all ability to compete and have a chance to win, from short knockers like Corey Pavin to long-range guns like Phil Mickelson, both past champions.

So with the spotlight of the golfing world focused on Fort Worth, why not start a debate about golfers with ties to Texas. Some were born there, others moved there and claimed citizenship. But who deserves to be ranked No. 1 from the Lone Star State?

If you're thinking in terms of all-timers, here are five great Texans to consider:

• Ben Hogan: He won five times at Colonial, which earned the course the nickname "Hogan's Alley." Not many players can match Hogan's ability to strike a golf ball. He won nine major championships and survived a near-fatal accident when he survived a head-on collision with a bus. His seminal book, "Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf" is one of the most widely read golf instruction books published; among them was future World Golf Hall of Famer Larry Nelson.

• Byron Nelson: Nelson won 52 times in his brief career, which ended when he was 34 when he opted to leave the sport and become a rancher. His 11 consecutive victories in 1945 seem almost unfathomable today. A true gentleman and a gentle man who continued to give to the game until his death at age 94.

• Lee Trevino: A six-time major champion, Trevino was a true Texas success story. A former caddie who honed his skills by finding a money game, sometimes when he didn't even have any money. Good enough to challenge Jack Nicklaus, who was in his prime, and win.

• Jack Burke Jr.: Not only did Burke win the Masters, he co-founded the Champions Golf Club in Houston and can still be found there almost every day. A member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, Burke gets high marks for his honesty; he's never been afraid to speak his mind, regardless of whose toes may be getting mashed.

• Ben Crenshaw: He won his first event after becoming a professional. He went on to win two major championships and has earned high praise (along with business partner Bill Coore) for course design. Not only is he a great player, he's also one of the sports true gentlemen.

OK, that's all fine and good for the Way-Back Machine, but what about today's active players? Here are six Texans who are capable of posting a good number and lasting more than five seconds on the mechanical bull at Billy Bob's. They carry that indescribable Texas air with them everywhere they go.

• Justin Leonard: You "Don't Mess With Texas" and you don't mess with Leonard, who has won 12 times (including the 1997 Open Championship) despite being a little guy who doesn't hit it that far. Now 38, Leonard is still one of the truly clutch putters on the PGA TOUR.

• Scott Verplank: Aren't Texans supposed to have grit? If that's the case you can put Verplank in the same category with Rooster Cogburn. Somehow he's managed to play against the best golfers in the world with only one good wrist. Question: How did Dallas let him get away to Oklahoma? Better send a posse to fetch him back.

Sabbatini

• Rory Sabbatini: He was born in South Africa, but everything about him screams Texas. A six-time winner on TOUR, Sabbatini is a guy who could stare down J.R. Ewing, whether it's in the board room or on the 18th tee. He won at Colonial in 2007.

• Brian Gay: Texas represents a certain rugged individualism. That fits Gay perfect. It takes a little bravado to wear some of those bright clothes he likes to sport. It also takes some bravado to attack a golf course like Gay often does, going low despite being one of the shorter hitters off the tee.

• Jhonny Vegas: His victory early this year put the Venezuelan-turned-Texan on the map. He may have been born in South America, but his formative years were spent in Austin. His outgoing nature makes him ideal for Texans to embrace.

• K.J. Choi: He's Texas tough. Not many players can say they've won on the same quality of mean courses that Choi has mastered. He prevailed at TPC Sawgrass last week, adding it a list that includes Muirfield Village, Congressional and Innisbrook. Plus, the longtime Houston resident has a great Texas nickname: Tank.

There are many others with Texas ties who compete each week and who will be playing in the event at Colonial this week. And because everything's bigger in Texas, don't bet against any of them.

Stan Awtrey is a freelance columnist for PGATOUR.COM. His views do not necessarily reflect the views of the PGA TOUR.