466:
454:
443:
381:
88:
288:, having qualified automatically by virtue of his 20th place in the 1976 Order of Merit. After his impressive first season in 1976, the following two seasons, 1977 and 1978, were similarly consistent. Although he did not win he recorded a number of top-10s finishes, including a third-place finish at the 1978
240:. In addition to winning his first tournament as a European Tour member, it was also the first golf tournament he had ever played outside his home country. Balbuena led by 5 strokes at the half-way stage and won by 4 shots from
260:
where he had a top-10 finish. For the remainder of the season, he would miss only one cut, and finish 20th on the Order of Merit. Balbuena was selected for three team events during the season, representing Spain in the
714:
484:
262:
649:
628:
608:
588:
568:
548:
320:
began. He suddenly had a heart attack and was rushed on an ambulance. He died on his way to the hospital. He was 29 years old.
699:
694:
305:
490:
266:
523:
301:
285:
281:
704:
447:
429:
194:
709:
496:
270:
209:
613:
593:
573:
553:
362:
274:
253:
249:
164:
678:
245:
309:
257:
184:
174:
367:
237:
213:
470:
317:
221:
300:
On 9 May 1979, tragedy struck. Balbuena was having dinner with fellow
Spanish golfers
688:
465:
458:
453:
442:
233:
217:
120:
385:
289:
241:
22:
256:
after a final round 72. The following week he made his
British tour debut in the
674:
252:, he again led after three rounds and finished runner-up to South Africa's
380:
26:
244:. The following week he was joint leader after three rounds of the
93:
313:
236:
before the 1976 season. He won the first event of the year, the
72:
248:
before fading after a final round 78. Two weeks later, at the
273:. In November he became the first non-American to win the
280:
Balbuena played in his first major championship, the
277:, finishing three strokes ahead of three Americans.
220:. He died of a heart attack on the eve of the 1979
193:
183:
173:
163:
157:
149:
141:
136:
126:
114:
104:
99:
79:
64:
54:
49:
42:
524:"24 Champion Golfers Who Died Tragically Young"
33: and the second or maternal family name is
8:
499:(representing the Continent of Europe): 1976
208:(c. 1949-1950 – 9 May 1979) was a Spanish
39:
397:
332:
509:
493:(representing Continental Europe): 1976
7:
644:
642:
517:
515:
513:
650:"Salvador Balbuena – Career Record"
158:Best results in major championships
14:
464:
452:
441:
379:
86:
609:"Torrance finishes joint third"
589:"Gallacher four behind leaders"
265:and Continental Europe in the
1:
629:"Torrance has right approach"
316:, France, the day before the
224:in which he was due to play.
597:. 24 April 1976. p. 17.
577:. 19 April 1976. p. 10.
557:. 16 April 1976. p. 19.
491:Double Diamond International
422:
357:
267:Double Diamond International
25:, the first or paternal
715:20th-century Spanish people
485:Philip Morris International
263:Philip Morris International
731:
635:. 17 May 1976. p. 17.
617:. 10 May 1976. p. 19.
569:"Torrance in second place"
487:(representing Spain): 1976
20:
206:Salvador Balbuena Bruna
60:Salvador Balbuena Bruna
329:European Tour wins (1)
282:1977 Open Championship
137:Number of wins by tour
700:European Tour golfers
434:−3 (75-71-68-75=289)
372:−6 (68-69-74-72=283)
324:Professional wins (2)
195:The Open Championship
695:Spanish male golfers
306:José María Cañizares
232:Balbuena joined the
81:Sporting nationality
70:9 May 1979 (aged 29)
50:Personal information
549:"Spaniard set pace"
497:Hennessy Cognac Cup
271:Hennessy Cognac Cup
228:Professional career
210:professional golfer
633:The Glasgow Herald
614:The Glasgow Herald
594:The Glasgow Herald
574:The Glasgow Herald
554:The Glasgow Herald
430:Morocco Grand Prix
275:Morocco Grand Prix
254:Vincent Tshabalala
165:Masters Tournament
675:Salvador Balbuena
476:
475:
391:
390:
212:who won the 1976
203:
202:
128:Professional wins
44:Salvador Balbuena
722:
662:
661:
659:
657:
646:
637:
636:
625:
619:
618:
605:
599:
598:
585:
579:
578:
565:
559:
558:
545:
539:
538:
536:
534:
519:
479:Team appearances
469:
468:
457:
456:
446:
445:
398:
384:
383:
333:
258:Piccadilly Medal
175:PGA Championship
92:
90:
89:
45:
40:
730:
729:
725:
724:
723:
721:
720:
719:
685:
684:
671:
666:
665:
655:
653:
652:. European Tour
648:
647:
640:
627:
626:
622:
607:
606:
602:
587:
586:
582:
567:
566:
562:
547:
546:
542:
532:
530:
522:Kelley, Brent.
521:
520:
511:
506:
481:
463:
462:
451:
440:
414:
396:
378:
368:Portuguese Open
349:
331:
326:
302:Antonio Garrido
298:
238:Portuguese Open
230:
214:Portuguese Open
159:
87:
85:
71:
43:
38:
17:
12:
11:
5:
728:
726:
718:
717:
712:
707:
702:
697:
687:
686:
683:
682:
670:
669:External links
667:
664:
663:
638:
620:
600:
580:
560:
540:
508:
507:
505:
502:
501:
500:
494:
488:
480:
477:
474:
473:
471:Curtis Strange
438:
435:
432:
427:
424:
420:
419:
416:
411:
408:
405:
402:
395:
394:Other wins (1)
392:
389:
388:
376:
373:
370:
365:
359:
355:
354:
351:
346:
343:
340:
337:
330:
327:
325:
322:
297:
294:
229:
226:
201:
200:
197:
191:
190:
187:
181:
180:
177:
171:
170:
167:
161:
160:
155:
154:
151:
147:
146:
143:
139:
138:
134:
133:
130:
124:
123:
118:
116:Former tour(s)
112:
111:
108:
102:
101:
97:
96:
83:
77:
76:
68:
62:
61:
58:
52:
51:
47:
46:
16:Spanish golfer
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
727:
716:
713:
711:
708:
706:
703:
701:
698:
696:
693:
692:
690:
681:official site
680:
679:European Tour
676:
673:
672:
668:
651:
645:
643:
639:
634:
630:
624:
621:
616:
615:
610:
604:
601:
596:
595:
590:
584:
581:
576:
575:
570:
564:
561:
556:
555:
550:
544:
541:
529:
525:
518:
516:
514:
510:
503:
498:
495:
492:
489:
486:
483:
482:
478:
472:
467:
460:
459:Danny Edwards
455:
449:
444:
439:
436:
433:
431:
428:
425:
421:
417:
412:
410:Winning score
409:
406:
403:
400:
399:
393:
387:
382:
377:
374:
371:
369:
366:
364:
360:
356:
352:
347:
345:Winning score
344:
341:
338:
335:
334:
328:
323:
321:
319:
315:
311:
310:Manuel Piñero
307:
303:
295:
293:
291:
287:
283:
278:
276:
272:
268:
264:
259:
255:
251:
247:
243:
239:
235:
234:European Tour
227:
225:
223:
219:
218:European Tour
215:
211:
207:
198:
196:
192:
188:
186:
182:
178:
176:
172:
168:
166:
162:
156:
152:
148:
144:
142:European Tour
140:
135:
131:
129:
125:
122:
121:European Tour
119:
117:
113:
109:
107:
103:
98:
95:
84:
82:
78:
74:
69:
67:
63:
59:
57:
53:
48:
41:
36:
32:
28:
24:
19:
705:1940s births
654:. Retrieved
632:
623:
612:
603:
592:
583:
572:
563:
552:
543:
531:. Retrieved
527:
448:George Burns
426:13 Nov 1976
386:Sam Torrance
299:
290:Spanish Open
279:
246:Spanish Open
242:Sam Torrance
231:
205:
204:
127:
115:
110:Professional
105:
80:
65:
55:
34:
30:
23:Spanish name
18:
710:1979 deaths
418:Runners-up
318:French Open
250:French Open
222:French Open
689:Categories
656:16 October
533:16 October
504:References
437:3 strokes
407:Tournament
375:4 strokes
353:Runner-up
342:Tournament
528:LiveAbout
413:Margin of
348:Margin of
286:Turnberry
199:CUT: 1977
185:U.S. Open
56:Full name
269:and the
75:, France
31:Balbuena
21:In this
677:at the
415:victory
361:17 Apr
350:victory
216:on the
27:surname
308:, and
106:Status
100:Career
91:
296:Death
150:Other
94:Spain
35:Bruna
658:2019
535:2019
404:Date
363:1976
339:Date
314:Lyon
73:Lyon
66:Died
401:No.
336:No.
312:in
284:at
189:DNP
179:DNP
169:DNP
29:is
691::
641:^
631:.
611:.
591:.
571:.
551:.
526:.
512:^
450:,
423:1
358:1
304:,
292:.
660:.
537:.
461:,
153:1
145:1
132:2
37:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.