- Nominations
- Inductees
- Alexander, Lisa
- Attard, Larry
- Bailey, Angela
- Balding, Al
- Bard, Alex
- Biggar, Howard
- Borthwick, Gayle
- Boyd, Mabel
- Brenneman, John
- Brown, David
- Brown, Louise
- Brydson, Gordon
- Carver-Dias, Claire
- Chambers, Carlton
- Christie, Marc
- Clare, Lou
- Clark, Karen
- Coffey, Paul
- Distelmeyer, Wallace
- Doty, Fred
- Dudley, Rick
- Ealey, Chuck
- Edwards, Dwight
- Eisele, Sylvia
- Fee, Earl
- Finlay, Matt
- Forshaw, Sheila
- Gilbert, Greg
- Gray, Gerry
- Greenwood, Jill
- Gurowka, Joe
- Hamilton, Stu
- Harris, Susan
- Hattin, Heather
- Hawley, Sandy
- Henderson, Paul
- Hibbert, Curtis
- Hicken, Blair
- Hickox, Mac
- Hinds, Sterling
- Hollett, Frank W.
- Homer-Dixon, Marjorie
- Hughes, Gord
- Kelly, Bob
- Kern, Ben
- Kerr, Jane
- Laumann, Danielle
- Laumann, Silken
- Lay, Jeff
- Loek, Fred
- Love, Jerry
- Martin, Peter
- Marland, Robert
- McCallion, Hazel
- McClintock, Joel
- McClintock-Messer, Judy
- McFater, Al
- McKenzie, Merv
- McQuaker, Charles (Red)
- Morris, Ted
- Oldershaw, Bert
- Oldershaw, Dean
- Oldershaw, Reed
- Oughtred, Wally
- Owoc Chennette, Andrea
- Pallett, Howard
- Paterson, Charlie
- Patey, Larry
- Plaxton, Hugh
- Pogue, Jim
- Poulin, Dave
- Preston, Karen
- Primeau, Joe
- Reddon, Lesley
- Riddell, Sam
- Rider, Fran
- Roach-Leuszler, Winnie
- Ross, Bill
- Ryder, Gus
- Samuel, Ernest
- Serwetnyk, Carrie
- Sicinski, Bob
- Smylie, Doug
- Stanfield, Fred
- Stanfield, Gord
- Stewart-Pellett, Ellen
- Tanti, Tony
- Toth, Mike
- Umeh, Stella
- Van Kiekebelt, Debbie
- Volpe, Nick
- Waites, Al
- Wilson, Bruce
- Wirkowski, Nobby
- Wood, Art
- Wood, John
- Young, Mike
|
|
|
|
Name:
BALDING, Al
Sport:
Golf
|
|
|
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
|
Al Balding first tasted true golfing success when he was 26 years old and newly minted Ontario Assistant Pro champion in 1950. Then bags full of birdies and spectacular eagles later, he savoured it again at the dawn of the new millennium. When he was 76, Balding not only shot his age, but went six strokes lower to record three straight 70s. It was enough to win the Canadian Senior Open title. What made this golden age feat even more remarkable was that he beat players 20 years younger Bookended by the two wide-spaced golf titles is a remarkable journey by a remarkable man – more than that, a remarkable gentleman – who achieved much and had well-earned bouquets tossed at his feet: he was twice chosen Ontario’s Athlete of the Year and was also inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame Hall. Al Balding also received recognition from the city he had been calling his on-and-off home for more than a quarter of a century: Mississauga’s Sports Hall of Fame opened its doors to the golfers’ golfer in 2002. For longer than most can remember, Balding was a regular on the Canadian and U.S. tours and won CPGA championship titles in 1953, ’53 and ’70. During his 15 years on the PGA Tour (1955-1970), he became the first Canadian to win a tour event, capturing the 1955 Mayfair Open in Miami and $2,400 in prize money, a tidy sum those days.In 1969, Balding teamed with another legendary Canadian, George Knudson, to win the World Team title of golf. Balding also came home from Rome with individual honours in his bag — quite a journey for a man who wasn’t serious about golf as he grew up during the depression days in Toronto. Having left school, he caddied a bit, played some golf but couldn’t afford membership fees in a club or time to devote to the game. Then along came the Second World War and young Balding answered the call, he enlisted in the 13th Field Battery. Back from the War, he did jobs, all physical but nothing quite satisfactory. He then woke up to the call of the fairways and scored a starter’s job at Toronto’s Oakdale Club where he made six bucks a day. So he bought himself a set of clubs and started to hit the ball earnestly. The rest is golf history. |
In 1993, he became assistant pro at the Burlington Golf and Country Club, which opened the door to his first pro win, at the Ontario Assistants Pro Tournament. He went on to become assistant pro at Islington (while there, he won the Quebec Open in 1952) and in 1954 became head professional at the Credit Valley Golf and Country Club. He promptly brought fame and glory to the Mississauga club when he shocked the field with his out-of-the-blue triumph in the Mayfair Open Following his Credit Valley stint, Balding turned full-time playing pro and won tournaments in Florida and Cuba. In the 1957 World Championship at the Tam O’Shanter course in Chicago, he came within one shot of winning the $100,000 purse, golf’s biggest prize money at the time.During his PGA Tour heyday, Balding chalked up victories in the West Palm Beach Open, Miami Open, Mexico Open and Hawaii Invitational. He also won four Canadian Match Play titles, finished first in the Alberta Open (1973) and was twice low Canadian in the Canadian Open (he came fifth in ’69).
Over the years, Al Balding had earned adulation from his fans and respect from his peers. Many professional players, struggling with their game, turned for advice to the man whose pure, flawless swing was legendary, often compared second best only to the immortal Sam Snead.One wonders how much more spectacular Balding’s career would have been, had shoulder operations not curtailed in three different seasons (’65, ’70 and ’77). He also battled cancer and had heart bypass surgery. Community involvement has never been an arm-length affair for Al Balding, his high profile work for the cause of blind golfers and the Timmy Easter Seals campaign is as admired as his super-smooth golf swing.
|
|
|
