Allan George Balding (April 29, 1924 – July 30, 2006) 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 (1936 Vancouver Jubilee Open), Jules Huot (1937 General Brock Open) and Pat Fletcher (1954 Canadian Open) had won PGA Tour events in Canada. Biography Balding was born in Toronto, Ontario on April 29, 1924. Growing up during the Great Depression, Balding quit school in the 7th grade and began caddying at the nearby Islington golf course, despite not previously golfing before. Balding enlisted in the Canadian Army at 19 for during World War II, and saw duty in France and Germany. Balding enlisted thinking that his small stature would land him in the Service Corps, however he was assigned to the 13th Field Battery of the 2nd Artillery division as a driver-mechanic. He was discharged before the end of the war due to a shoulder injury sustained while "fooling around" on a motorcycle. After the war in the late 1940s, Balding worked at a Toronto tire manufacturing company, and later at a golf club in Burlington. He had played golf only occasionally as a youth, but began playing more after the War ended, improving his game rapidly under the instruction of pro Les Franks. Balding became a professional golfer in 1950, working as a club professional in Toronto, and won his first minor tournament at 26, the Ontario assistant pro championship. 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, Balding decided to play full time on the U.S. tour, winning three events on the Tour and finished 6th on the money list with $28,000, the highest of any Canadian at that point, and would not be eclipsed until Mike Weir finished 6th on the money list in 2003. 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