GREAT SPORTSMAN

Southland Times, Issue 23335, 20 October 1937, Page 13

GREAT SPORTSMAN

DEATH AT ADVANCED AGE Mr Leslie Balfour-Melville, one of the greatest all-round sportsmen Scotland has ever produced and believed to be the last surviving golfer who played the peerless young Tom Morris, died suddenly at North Berwick on July 16 at the age of 83, says The New York Times. His greatest golf success was in winning the British amateur championship in 1895 after a memorable match with John Ball. Mr Balfour-Melville was the author of a noted. book on the St. Andrews course, on which he won thirty-one medals of the Royal and Ancient Club,, and the Jubilee Vase. He also won fifteen medals at Murifield. At the age of 18 he played Rugby football for Scotland against England. In 1879 he won the Scottish' tennis crown, and for thirty years was rated the best cricketer of that country. He also was expert in shooting, curling, skating, and hunting and won prizes at hurdling and sprinting. He once gained the Scottish amateur billiards championship. A consistent competitor for the British amateur golf championship Mr Bal-four-Melville was runner-up once and

reached the semi-finals on four other occasions, besides his victory in 1895. He was captain of the Honorary Company of Edinburgh Golfers in 1902 and 1903 and was captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club from 1906 to 1907. Mr Balfour-Melville, writer to his Majesty’s Signet, was bom March 9, 1854, son of James Balfour-Melville, of Mount Melville, Strathkinness, St. Andrews, and Eliza Ogilvy Heriot Maitland, of Ramornie, Fife. He was educated in Edinburgh Academy and Edinburgh University. He was first married to Miss Jeanie Amelia Wilson. They had one son. In 1923 Mr Balfour-Melville married Miss Harriet Maud Carey. He belonged to the New and Edinburgh Clubs.