Nationality Scotland U.S. Amateur DNP Status Amateur Name Leslie Balfour-Melville | U.S. Open DNP Role Cricket Player The Open Championship 5th: 1888 | |
Full name Leslie Balfour-Melville Born 9 March 1854
Bonnington, Edinburgh, Scotland ( 1854-03-09 ) Died July 17, 1937, North Berwick, United Kingdom | ||
Education University of Edinburgh | ||
Leslie Balfour-Melville (9 March 1854 – 17 July 1937), born Leslie Balfour, was a Scottish amateur sportsman, serving as captain, opening batsman and wicket-keeper for the Scotland national cricket team.
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Balfour-Melville was also an international rugby union player, tennis player, ice skater, curler, long-jumper and player of English billiards. He was a prolific golf medal winner, winning The Amateur Championship, at St Andrews in 1895.
He also held several administrative positions within national governing bodies. He was President of the Scottish Rugby Union, President of the Scottish Cricket Union, and Captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club in 1906.
Balfour-Melville was an inaugural inductee into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.
Biography
Balfour was born in Bonnington, Edinburgh, on 9 March 1854 the son of James Balfour Melville (1815-1898) and his wife, Eliza Ogilvy Heriot Maitland (1821-1887).
He was educated at the Edinburgh Academy and the University of Edinburgh, he became a lawyer by profession, rising to be a Writer to the Signet. In 1893 the family changed its name to Balfour-Melville when his father succeeded to the estate of Mount Melville near St Andrews, Fife. His Edinburgh residence was at 53 Hanover Street in Edinburgh's New Town.
His son James also played cricket for Scotland before losing his life in the First World War.
Balfour-Melville died in North Berwick, East Lothian, on 16 July 1937. He is buried with his parents in the family tomb in the south-west corner of Greyfriars Kirkyard close to the Robertson mausoleum. On his grave he is named simply as Leslie Melville.
Cricket
Playing for the Grange, he debuted against the Free Foresters in 1874. He played eighteen matches for the national side over 36 years.
He captained Scotland in their first match against Ireland after the formation of the 2nd Scottish Cricket Union, and was the first President of the Scottish Cricket Union to play for the national side.
During his career he scored 46 centuries.
Results timeline
Note: Balfour-Melville played in only The Open Championship and The Amateur Championship.
LA = Low amateur
NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place
DNQ = Did not qualify for match play portion
R256, R128, R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in match play
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10
Source for British Open: www.opengolf.com
Source for 1886 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 23 September 1886, pg. 5.
Source for 1888 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 11 May 1888, pg. 8.
Source for 1890 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 3 May 1890, pg. 10.
Source for 1892 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 14 May 1892, pg. 4.
Source for 1893 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 11 May 1893, pg. 12.
Source for 1894 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 27 April 1894, pg. 11.
Source for 1896 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 21 May 1896, pg. 11.
Source for 1897 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 30 April 1897, pg. 11.
Source for 1899 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 25 May 1899, pg. 8.
Source for 1900 British Amateur: Golf, July 1900, pg. 20.
Source for 1901 British Amateur: Golf, June 1901, pg. 413.
Source for 1902 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 30 April 1902, pg. 10.
Source for 1903 British Amateur: Golf, July 1903, pg. 10.
Source for 1904 British Amateur: Golf, July 1904, pg. 6.
Source for 1905 British Amateur: Golf, June 1905, pg. 340.
Source for 1906 British Amateur: Golf, July 1906, pg. 30.
Source for 1907 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 29 May 1907, pg. 12.
Source for 1908 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 27 May 1908, pg. 14.
Source for 1909 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 28 May 1909, pg. 14.
Source for 1910 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 1 June 1910, pg. 10.
Source for 1911 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 31 May 1911, pg. 10.
Source for 1913 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 28 May 1913, pg. 15.
Source for 1914 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 20 May 1914, pg. 12.
Source for 1920 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, 9 June 1920, pg. 11.
Rugby football
Leslie Balfour, as he was then, played for Edinburgh Academicals, and was capped once in 1871.
Tennis
Balfour won the Scottish Lawn Tennis Championships in 1879.