The Lucky Few

What to know before you go to this year's smaller AT&T Byron Nelson tourney

The iconic golf event takes place May 13-16 in McKinney.

Photo courtesy of Byron Nelson

Attending this year's AT&T Byron Nelson tournament will be even more coveted than years past. After its 2020 cancelation, the tournament organizers have allowed for a daily attendance of just 12,500 people, which is about a 75 percent drop from previous years.

The four-day event is scheduled for May 13-16, and tickets have already sold out. If you didn't snag a ticket, maybe console yourself by visiting the tournament's sponsor, Choctaw Casino & Resort-Durant, which is just 60 miles — or one hour — from TPC Craig Ranch.

If you happen to be one of the fortunate few who snatched up exclusive passes, make sure you're prepared for the big day(s). Here are a some helpful things to know before you head out:

Players and prizes
Expect to see a list of golf's top names, including the defending 2019 Byron Nelson champion Sung Kang.

Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler, Sergio Garcia, Hideki Matsuyama, Jason Day, Scottie Scheffler, and Will Zalatoris will also be on the green.

Golfers will vie for a purse of $8.1 million, with the winner taking home $1.5 million — both are record amounts for the event. And of course, the champion will get to hold one of the most prestigious titles in golf.

Course grounds
For its first time in Collin County, the tournament will take place at TPC Craig Ranch, located at 8000 Collin McKinney Pkwy. in McKinney. It'll be formatted with 72 holes of stroke play, and after 36 holes the field is cut to the top 70, plus ties.

Highlights include viewing venues centered around holes 16, 17, and 18, designed to create excitement as players head into the final stretch. Plus a stadium-like setup at hole 17 will give fans a unique vantage point of the par-3 hole.

COVID cleanliness
In addition to the drastic crowd cuts, COVID-19 protocols will include required masks (unless actively eating or drinking) when watching along the rope-line. Hand sanitizer and hand washing areas will be available throughout the grounds.

All ticketing will be digital to reduce hand-to-hand contact. Safety will be monitored and protocols adjusted where necessary to meet any federal, state, county, and Center for Disease Control guidelines.

Parking and passes
Ample spectator parking is located near the course, and all lots are walking distance to the entrances. Parking can be purchased online for $20 ahead of time.

The Choctaw Club
You might spot this super-exclusive tent on the 16th hole, and while passes have already sold out here's a peek at what the lucky attendees will be enjoying. In addition to the up-close views from the patio, there's a premium III Forks Steakhouse menu and a full bar experience within the 8,000-square-foot climate-controlled space.

Know if you don't go
If you weren't able to get tickets this year, or want to keep up with the tournament for the days you don't attend, have no fear. You can catch live coverage on on the Golf Channel on Thursday and Friday from 2:30-5:30 pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 12-2 pm. CBS will air the event on Saturday and Sunday from 2-5 pm.

The Byron Nelson helps support Momentous Institute, a nonprofit that provides high-quality mental health services and education to children. The institute focuses on social and emotional health and achieves remarkable, measurable results.

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For more details and information on 2021 AT&T Byron Nelson tournament, click here.

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Movie Review

Shaun the Sheep gets PG-spooky in new movie for the Halloween season

Photo courtesy of Aardman / Sky UK LTD / StudioCanal 2026

Shaun the Sheep in Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom.

Since his introduction over 30 years ago, the Aardman Animations character Shaun the Sheep has been almost as popular as the studio’s flagship characters, Wallace and Gromit. There is never a shortage of trouble Shaun can get into as he leads his flock and proves to be a thorn in the side of his farmer and Bitzer, the farmer’s loyal sheepdog.

His antics lead everyone down some slightly spooky roads in the new film, Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom. At first, things are only slightly awry as Shaun and the flock are growing a secret pumpkin patch to have their own jack-o-lanterns. But when the farmer accidentally destroys the pumpkin patch, Shaun tries to regrow it quickly with a Frankenstein-esque experiment.

However, disaster looms when Shaun uses an old bottle of Hair-Gro as the container for the serum he creates. Naturally, the balding farmer uses it on his head, and everyone soon discovers how truly successful it is, with pumpkins growing out of control and the farmer sprouting hair all over his body. Through a series of mishaps, the farmer becomes the titular beast, creating mayhem while Shaun and others try to stop him.

Directed by Steve Cox and Matthew Walker, and written by Mark Burton and Giles Pilbrow, the film goes down just as easy as every other Aardman project has. They get the Halloween vibes started from the opening credits, with things like the sheep doing the “Thriller” dance, and continue the fun throughout, referencing everything from Psycho to Friday the 13th in a nice, PG way.

With no script — every character is mute save for reaction noises — the movie relies on sight gags for its humor, and the Aardman team is endlessly inventive in that respect. Sometimes it’s small things like a sheep using toilet paper rolls as binoculars, and sometimes it’s something like forcing the Bigfoot-like farmer to be shaped into a rectangle as he escapes through a window. But there’s a never-ending stream of such moments, so even if one doesn’t tickle your funny bone, chances are the next one will.

The biggest benefit of the characters not talking is that there’s no need for deep character development. The filmmakers do a great job of giving the basic traits of each character, and then use those attributes to color everyone’s actions for the rest of the film. Shaun is the troublemaker, the farmer is a bumbling fool, Bitzer is preternaturally smart, and the town’s vet is empathetic, and the combination of those characters and others makes for a highly entertaining blend.

Like all Aardman creations, Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom is a fun lark that doesn’t make its audience think too hard. With just enough references to keep viewers engaged but not so many as to be overbearing, the film puts its well-worn characters to good use once again, delivering a Halloween season story that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

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Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom is now playing in theaters.

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Movie Review

Shaun the Sheep gets PG-spooky in new movie for the Halloween season