George Knudson
Encyclopedia
George Alfred Christian Knudson, CM
(June 28, 1937 – January 24, 1989) was a Canadian
professional golfer
, who along with Mike Weir
holds the record for the Canadian with the most wins on the PGA Tour
, with eight career victories.
Born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba
, Knudson learned to play golf at the St. Charles Country Club
. He won the 1954 and 1955 Manitoba Junior Championships, and the 1955 Canadian Junior Championship. He moved to Toronto
in 1958, and worked at the Oakdale Golf Club, where he received instruction and encouragement from the Club, to improve his game. He was then able to secure some financial backing to try the PGA Tour
. He won the Manitoba Open in 1958, 1959, and 1960, and the Ontario Open in 1960, 1961 and 1978.
Between 1961 and 1972, he won eight tournaments on the PGA Tour. He won the Canadian PGA Championship
five times, and won the World Cup with Al Balding
in 1968. He wrote a book, The Natural Golf Swing (ISBN 0-7710-4534-4) with Lorne Rubenstein
.
Knudson tied for second in the 1969 Masters
, one shot behind champion George Archer
. In seven Masters appearances, Knudson posted three top-10s, including 10th in his 1965 debut and sixth a year later.
He was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
in 1969.
Knudson left tournament golf in the late 1970s, and started teaching golf, with success, at a facility in the Toronto area. His teaching methods have since been adopted by the Canadian PGA.
In 1988, he was inducted into both Royal Canadian Golf Association
Hall of Fame
, the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
and was made a member of the Order of Canada
.
He was diagnosed with lung cancer
in 1988. He recovered, and was about to make a comeback at the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf
Senior tournament, but left because he felt weak. The cancer had spread to his brain, and he would die from it in 1989.
He was buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery
in Toronto, Ontario.
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Yellow background for top-10.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(June 28, 1937 – January 24, 1989) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional golfer
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
, who along with Mike Weir
Mike Weir
Michael Richard Weir, CM, O.Ont is a Canadian professional golfer on the PGA Tour. He spent over 110 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings between 2001 and 2005. He is best known for winning the Masters in 2003....
holds the record for the Canadian with the most wins on the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
, with eight career victories.
Born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Knudson learned to play golf at the St. Charles Country Club
St. Charles Country Club
St. Charles Country Club is a private country club in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It features three nine hole golf courses, each with a distinct style that reflects the golf course designer responsible for it.- History :...
. He won the 1954 and 1955 Manitoba Junior Championships, and the 1955 Canadian Junior Championship. He moved to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
in 1958, and worked at the Oakdale Golf Club, where he received instruction and encouragement from the Club, to improve his game. He was then able to secure some financial backing to try the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
. He won the Manitoba Open in 1958, 1959, and 1960, and the Ontario Open in 1960, 1961 and 1978.
Between 1961 and 1972, he won eight tournaments on the PGA Tour. He won the Canadian PGA Championship
Canadian PGA Championship
The PGA Championship of Canada is a golf tournament organized by the PGA of Canada. It was first played in 1912 as the Canadian PGA Championship. It was a Nationwide Tour event from 2001 to 2005. It was also an event on the Canadian Tour. Stan Leonard holds the record with eight victories...
five times, and won the World Cup with Al Balding
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 and Jules Huot had won PGA Tour events in Canada in the 1930s.Balding was born in Toronto,...
in 1968. He wrote a book, The Natural Golf Swing (ISBN 0-7710-4534-4) with Lorne Rubenstein
Lorne Rubenstein
Lorne Rubenstein is a Canadian golf journalist and author. He writes columns for The Globe and Mail and was the first editor of Scoregolf magazine...
.
Knudson tied for second in the 1969 Masters
The Masters Tournament
The Masters Tournament, also known as The Masters , is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, it is the first of the majors to be played each year...
, one shot behind champion George Archer
George Archer
George William Archer was an American golfer who won twelve events on the PGA Tour, including one major championship.Archer was born in San Francisco, California and was raised just south in the city of San Mateo...
. In seven Masters appearances, Knudson posted three top-10s, including 10th in his 1965 debut and sixth a year later.
He was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame is a hall of fame established in 1955 to "preserve the record of Canadian sports achievements and to promote a greater awareness of Canada's heritage of sport." It is located at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta...
in 1969.
Knudson left tournament golf in the late 1970s, and started teaching golf, with success, at a facility in the Toronto area. His teaching methods have since been adopted by the Canadian PGA.
In 1988, he was inducted into both Royal Canadian Golf Association
Royal Canadian Golf Association
Golf Canada, formerly known as the Royal Canadian Golf Association is the governing body of golf in Canada.-Beginnings:The RCGA was founded on June 6, 1895 as the Canadian Golf Association at the Royal Ottawa Golf Club. The Royal prefix was granted to the CGA in June 1896 by Queen Victoria through...
Hall of Fame
Canadian Golf Hall of Fame
The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum and hall of fame covering the history of the game of golf in Canada, and celebrating the careers and accomplishments of the most significant contributors to the game in that country...
, the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
The Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, dedicated to the history of sport in Manitoba and honouring the best in sport. The organization began in 1980 and in 1993, a museum was opened in The Forks...
and was made a member of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
.
He was diagnosed with lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
in 1988. He recovered, and was about to make a comeback at the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf
Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf
The Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf is a golf tournament on the Champions Tour. It is played annually in April currently in Savannah, Georgia at The Westin Savannah Harbor Resort. Liberty Mutual is the main sponsor of the tournament...
Senior tournament, but left because he felt weak. The cancer had spread to his brain, and he would die from it in 1989.
He was buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery
Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto
Mount Pleasant Cemetery is a cemetery located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.In the early 19th century, the only authorized cemeteries within the city of Toronto were limited to the members of either the Roman Catholic Church or the Church of England...
in Toronto, Ontario.
PGA Tour wins (8)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dec 10, 1961 | Coral Gables Open Invitational Coral Gables Open Invitational The Coral Gables Open Invitational was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1931 to 1937 and 1959 to 1962. It was played at what is now the Miami Biltmore Golf Course in Coral Gables, Florida... |
1 stroke |  Gay BrewerGay Brewer Gay Robert Brewer, Jr. was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and won the 1967 Masters Tournament.... |
|
| 2 | Sep 22, 1963 | Portland Open Invitational Portland Open Invitational The Portland Open Invitational was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour that was played in the Portland, Oregon area from 1944 to 1948and again from 1959 to 1966. The event was hosted at the Portland Golf Club and the Columbia Edgewater Country Club. It first played as the Portland Open... |
Playoff | Mason Rudolph Mason Rudolph Edgar Mason Rudolph was an American golfer who won five times on the PGA Tour.-Early years and amateur career:... |
|
| 3 | Oct 4, 1964 | Fresno Open Invitational | Playoff |  Al BaldingAl 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 and Jules Huot had won PGA Tour events in Canada in the 1930s.Balding was born in Toronto,... |
|
| 4 | May 14, 1967 | Greater New Orleans Open Invitational | 1 stroke | Jack Nicklaus Jack Nicklaus Jack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a... |
|
| 5 | Feb 18, 1968 | Phoenix Open Invitational | 1 stroke | Julius Boros Julius Boros Julius Nicholas Boros was a Hungarian-American professional golfer.-Early years:Boros was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut... |
|
| 6 | Feb 25, 1968 | Tucson Open Invitational | 1 stroke | Frank Beard, Frank Boynton Frank Boynton (golfer) Frank Boynton is an American professional golfer.Boynton grew up in Orlando, Florida. He played college golf at Rollins College. He turned professional in 1956.... |
|
| 7 | Sep 20, 1970 1970 PGA Tour The 1970 PGA Tour season was played from January 8 to December 13. The season consisted of 45 official money events. Billy Casper won the most tournaments, four, and there were six first-time winners. The tournament results and award winners are listed below.... |
Robinson Open Golf Classic | Playoff | George Archer George Archer George William Archer was an American golfer who won twelve events on the PGA Tour, including one major championship.Archer was born in San Francisco, California and was raised just south in the city of San Mateo... |
|
| 8 | Oct 22, 1972 1972 PGA Tour The 1972 PGA Tour season was played from January 6 to December 3. The season consisted of 46 official money events. Jack Nicklaus won the most tournaments, seven, and there were five first-time winners. The tournament results and award winners are listed below.... |
Kaiser International Open Invitational | 3 strokes | Hale Irwin Hale Irwin Hale S. Irwin is an American professional golfer. He is one of the few players in history to have won three U.S. Opens and was one of the world's leading golfers for much of the 1970s and 1980s. He has also developed a career as a golf course architect.Irwin was born in Joplin, Missouri, but was... , Bobby NicholsBobby Nichols Robert Herman Nichols is an American professional golfer, best known for winning the 1964 PGA Championship.Nichols was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He attended St. Xavier High School in Louisville and later played golf at Texas A&M University were his team won the Southwest Conference Championship... |
Other wins (17)
This list is probably incomplete- 1958 Manitoba Open
- 1959 Manitoba Open
- 1960 Manitoba Open, Ontario Open
- 1961 Ontario Open
- 1962 Maracaibo Open, Puerto Rico Open
- 1963 Panama OpenPanama OpenThe Panama Open was a golf tournament played from 1938 to 1982. The name was revived in 1996, when it was an unofficial event on the Canadian Tour...
- 1964 Canadian PGA ChampionshipCanadian PGA ChampionshipThe PGA Championship of Canada is a golf tournament organized by the PGA of Canada. It was first played in 1912 as the Canadian PGA Championship. It was a Nationwide Tour event from 2001 to 2005. It was also an event on the Canadian Tour. Stan Leonard holds the record with eight victories...
, Caracas Open - 1966 Canada Cup (individual event)
- 1967 Canadian PGA ChampionshipCanadian PGA ChampionshipThe PGA Championship of Canada is a golf tournament organized by the PGA of Canada. It was first played in 1912 as the Canadian PGA Championship. It was a Nationwide Tour event from 2001 to 2005. It was also an event on the Canadian Tour. Stan Leonard holds the record with eight victories...
- 1968 Canadian PGA ChampionshipCanadian PGA ChampionshipThe PGA Championship of Canada is a golf tournament organized by the PGA of Canada. It was first played in 1912 as the Canadian PGA Championship. It was a Nationwide Tour event from 2001 to 2005. It was also an event on the Canadian Tour. Stan Leonard holds the record with eight victories...
, World Cup (team event with Al BaldingAl BaldingAllan 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 and Jules Huot had won PGA Tour events in Canada in the 1930s.Balding was born in Toronto,...
) - 1976 Canadian PGA ChampionshipCanadian PGA ChampionshipThe PGA Championship of Canada is a golf tournament organized by the PGA of Canada. It was first played in 1912 as the Canadian PGA Championship. It was a Nationwide Tour event from 2001 to 2005. It was also an event on the Canadian Tour. Stan Leonard holds the record with eight victories...
- 1977 Canadian PGA ChampionshipCanadian PGA ChampionshipThe PGA Championship of Canada is a golf tournament organized by the PGA of Canada. It was first played in 1912 as the Canadian PGA Championship. It was a Nationwide Tour event from 2001 to 2005. It was also an event on the Canadian Tour. Stan Leonard holds the record with eight victories...
- 1978 Ontario Open
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | 10 | T6 | T31 | T28 | T2 | T45 | DNP | DNP | CUT | DNP |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | T17 | T44 | DNP | DNP | T36 | T61 | DNP | DNP | DNP | T51 |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
T51 | DNP | T28 | T20 | T43 | DNP | DNP | T25 | T55 | CUT | CUT | T56 | DNP |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Yellow background for top-10.