In Brief : Golfer Knudson Dies of Cancer

TORONTO —  Golfer George Knudson, whom Ben Hogan once described as having the sweetest swing on the PGA Tour, died today after a long battle with cancer. He was 51.

Knudson, Canada’s outstanding pro golfer of the 1960s and ‘70s, had been undergoing treatment for lung cancer since June, 1987. He died in Princess Margaret Hospital.

Winner of eight PGA Tour tournaments between 1961 and 1972, Knudson had planned on joining the Seniors Tour in the fall of 1987. He turned 50 June 28, 1987, just days after entering the hospital for chest scans and bone marrow analysis.

After a lengthy recovery period following initial treatment, Knudson went on tour last summer to promote a recently published book and video.

Knudson, who ran a golf school just north of Toronto for several years, was a five-time Canadian PGA champion, won individual honors in the 1966 World Cup, won the World Cup in 1968 with Al Balding, tied for second in the 1969 U.S. Masters.