Jim Nelford
Encyclopedia
Jim Nelford is a Canadian professional golf
er, who has played on the PGA Tour
. He has also been a golf commentator
for ESPN
.
Nelford was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He won the 1973 B.C. High School golf Championship and the 1973 B.C. Junior Championship. He attended Brigham Young University
, where he played on the varsity golf team on scholarship. Nelford won two All-American selections: 1976 and 1977, both Second Team.
Nelford won the 1975 and 1976 Canadian Amateur Championship
s, and the 1977 Western Amateur
. He turned professional in 1977, and played on the PGA Tour from 1978 to 1988, where his best finish was second at the 1983 Sea Pines Heritage Classic and at the 1984 Bing Crosby Pro-Am (playoff loss to Hale Irwin
). He won the World Cup with Dan Halldorson
in 1980, and he won one Tournament Players' Series event (a PGA Tour satellite event).
Nelford was seriously injured in a waterskiing accident in September 1985, suffering crippling damage to one of his arms, when it was badly sliced by the propeller blade. Although he recovered, he was never able to regain his top golf form after that, and gradually lost his playing status on the PGA Tour.
Along with Lorne Rubenstein
, Nelford co-authored the 1984 book Seasons in a Golfer's Life, a story of his life in golf. Nelford putts left-handed, but plays all of his other shots right-handed. Since turning age 50, Nelford has appeared in a few Champions Tour
events, without achieving notable success.
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er, who has played 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...
. He has also been a golf commentator
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
for ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
.
Nelford was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He won the 1973 B.C. High School golf Championship and the 1973 B.C. Junior Championship. He attended Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
, where he played on the varsity golf team on scholarship. Nelford won two All-American selections: 1976 and 1977, both Second Team.
Nelford won the 1975 and 1976 Canadian Amateur Championship
Canadian Amateur Championship
The Canadian Amateur Championship, begun in 1895, is the men's amateur golf championship of Canada. It is staged annually by the Royal Canadian Golf Association. It was played at match play until 1968, went to stroke play beginning in 1969, and reverted to match play in 1995...
s, and the 1977 Western Amateur
Western Amateur
The Western Amateur is a leading annual golf tournament in the United States for male amateur golfers. It is organized by the Western Golf Association....
. He turned professional in 1977, and played on the PGA Tour from 1978 to 1988, where his best finish was second at the 1983 Sea Pines Heritage Classic and at the 1984 Bing Crosby Pro-Am (playoff loss to 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...
). He won the World Cup with Dan Halldorson
Dan Halldorson
Daniel Albert Halldorson is a Canadian professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Canadian Tour.Halldorson was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and raised in Brandon, Manitoba. He did not attend college and turned pro in 1971. He joined the Canadian Tour in 1973 and the PGA Tour in...
in 1980, and he won one Tournament Players' Series event (a PGA Tour satellite event).
Nelford was seriously injured in a waterskiing accident in September 1985, suffering crippling damage to one of his arms, when it was badly sliced by the propeller blade. Although he recovered, he was never able to regain his top golf form after that, and gradually lost his playing status on the PGA Tour.
Along 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...
, Nelford co-authored the 1984 book Seasons in a Golfer's Life, a story of his life in golf. Nelford putts left-handed, but plays all of his other shots right-handed. Since turning age 50, Nelford has appeared in a few Champions Tour
Champions Tour
The Champions Tour, a golf tour run by the PGA Tour, hosts a series of events annually in the United States and the United Kingdom for golfers 50 years of age and older. Many of the PGA Tour's most successful golfers have gone on to play on the Champions Tour.The Senior PGA Championship, founded in...
events, without achieving notable success.