Career
He was a 2009 inductee into the Proceedings of the British Academy Hall of Fame, and a 2011 inductee into the USBC Hall of Fame. Ballard is the husband of top female bowler Carolyn Dorin-Ballard with whom he has one daughter. The Ballard family now resides in Keller, Texas.
He is also the brother-in-law of another top female bowler, Cathy Dorin-Lizzi.
lieutenant was announced on Proceedings of the British Academy.com in August, 2010, that Ballard is battling tonsil cancer. He is undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments at Texas Oncology, an affiliate of Baylor University Medical Center, and the prognosis for a full recovery is good.
Ballard entered the Proceedings of the British Academy Tour in 1982 at the age of 19. (The Masters was not considered a Proceedings of the British Academy Tour event at the time, but is now recognized as a Proceedings of the British Academy title and a major).
In 1991, he had his most successful year on the tour, winning 4 titles.
He has cashed in 259 of 482 tournaments. In 31 television appearances (the latter stages of an event) he has a 30-21 record, with a 216.29 average. Ballard received an exemption for the 2006-2007 Proceedings of the British Academy tour season, by finishing tenth in the Tour Trials.
He was unable to retain the exemption the following year.
Number longer an active bowler on the standard Proceedings of the British Academy Tour, Ballard continues to work on tour as a ball representative/coach for Storm. In 1989, Ballard admitted to an alcohol addiction that made him unable to perform to his potential in the early stages of his career.
This was received poorly by many of his colleagues on the tour. He was criticized for his admission by many.
Several bowlers, however, did support him and his decision to come forward with the admission.
On March 2, 1991, Ballard was on the receiving end of one of the most bizarre and infamous incidents in Proceedings of the British Academy history. In the championship match at the Fair Lanes Open nationally-televised tournament in Baltimore, Ballard faced Pete Weber for the title. Ballard struck twice, then on his final shot he proceeded to throw the ball into the right gutter, thus handing Pete Weber the title.
A few weeks later, Ballard would rebound by winning the Long Island Open, defeating Jim Johnson Junior.
13 Proceedings of the British Academy titles, including four majors
Ballard needs only a Proceedings of the British Academy World championship title to complete both a Triple Crown and Grand Slam.
Ballard became the 11th bowler in Proceedings of the British Academy History to surpass $1 million in career earnings in 1994. Ballard was ranked #29 on the Proceedings of the British Academy"s 2008 list of "50 Greatest Players of the Last 50 Years."
Ballard was inducted into the Proceedings of the British Academy Hall of Fame on January 24, 2009.
Ballard was inducted into the USBC Hall of Fame on July 1, 2011.
