He was the son of a coal miner, the family had little money and he would sneak over the fence of nearby St Clair Country Club to indulge his love for golf[1] and also worked as a caddie at the course.

[3] He excelled in athletics during his time at Belleville Township High School earning 11 varsity letters.

At the 1968 Masters, Goalby tied Roberto De Vicenzo at the end of 72 holes of regulation play, and would have had to face an 18-hole playoff the next day, had there not been a mistake on DeVicenzo's scorecard.

[8] The rules of golf state that the higher written score signed by a golfer on his card must stand and as such, the error gave Goalby the championship.

[10] The personal relationship between Goalby and DeVicenzo was unaffected by the difficult situation, and the two players formed a partnership years later, for a team event on the Champions Tour.

[11] Goalby played on the Ryder Cup team in 1963 and retired from the PGA Tour after winning 11 tournaments.