Al Balding


Allan George Balding was a Canadian professional golfer, who won four events on the PGA Tour. In 1955 he became the first Canadian to win a PGA Tour event in the United States; Canadians Ken Black, Jules Huot and Pat Fletcher had won PGA Tour events in Canada.

Biography

Balding was born in Toronto, Ontario. He served for three years as a member of the Canadian Army during World War II, and saw duty in France and Germany. After the war in the late 1940s, Balding worked at a Toronto tire manufacturing company. He had played golf only occasionally as a youth, but began playing more after the War ended, improving his game rapidly.
Balding became a professional golfer in 1950, working as a club professional in Toronto.
Balding began on the Canadian Professional Golf Tour, winning his first two tournaments in 1952. In 1955, Balding became the first Canadian to win a PGA Tour event in the United States, when he won the Mayfair Open. In 1957, he won three events on the Tour and finished 6th on the money list, the highest of any Canadian at that point.
Balding would go on to win an impressive number of tournaments in many different venues over a long period of time during his career. He won ten events on the Canadian Tour from 1952 through 1973. He won four tournaments on the PGA Tour, the most of any Canadian to that point. In 1968, in Italy, he won the World Cup team title for Canada, as well as the individual title. Balding played on the Canadian National Team in the Canada Cup / World Cup from 1956 to 1970, except in the years 1962, 1965 and 1966. Balding was named Ontario Athlete of the Year in 1955 and 1957. He was elected to Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1968.
Balding was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 1984. He was also inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1997. He was one of the 40 original seniors on the U.S. Senior PGA Tour in 1980. Balding Court, a street on the former St. Andrew's Golf Club in Toronto is named in his honour.
Perhaps the most remarkable win of Balding's career came at the age of 76, when he captured the 2000 Canadian PGA Senior Championship, giving him professional victories in six different decades; this was attained against players as young as age 50.
Balding was the uncle of Canadian auto racing driver Kat Teasdale.
Balding died in Mississauga, Ontario from cancer.

Professional wins (18)

PGA Tour wins (4)

Canadian wins (10)

Note: Balding never played in the PGA Championship.
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Summary