The graduate of Burnaby South Secondary, Jim Nelford distinguished himself in one of sport’s most intense cauldrons, golf’s PGA Tour where he played from 1978 to 1988.
He won the provincial high school golf championship and the B.C. junior championship in 1973, and the 1975 and 1976 Canadian Amateur title. After attending Brigham Young University on a golf scholarship, Nelford turned pro in 1977.
His best finish was second at two tournaments. The most notable was the 1984 Bing Crosby Pro-Am when he lost a playoff to Hale Irwin. Nelford appeared to be on the verge of winning the tournament when an Irwin shot on the 18th hole headed for the ocean bounced off the rocks and close to the cup which Irwin tapped in to force the playoff.
On the international front, Nelford combined with Manitoba’s Dan Halldorson to win the 1980 World Cup. Since his retirement Nelford has been a commentator for many television networks including ESPN, TSN and CTV. He was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 2013.
