The award’s inaugural recipient will be Renee Powell, the second Black woman to compete on the LPGA in 1967.
It was on this day in 2004 that Charlie Sifford was inducted in the World Golf Hall of Fame. As a way to honor the first Black player on the PGA Tour, on Monday the Hall of Fame announced the creation of the Charlie Sifford Award presented by Southern Company for those who advance diversity in golf.
The award’s inaugural recipient will be Renee Powell, who became the second Black woman to compete on the LPGA in 1967 after Althea Gibson in 1964. Powell will be honored as part of the Hall of Fame’s 2022 induction ceremony on Wednesday, March 9, during the Players Championship. Tiger Woods, Susie Maxwell Berning, Tim Finchem and the late Marion Hollins comprise the 2022 class, and will bring the number of Hall of Fame members to 164.
“As a youngster my parents fought to get me into tournaments when I was not welcomed because of the color of my skin, which instilled in me how important it is to get young people into the game to help build their self-confidence,” said Powell via a release. “I’m honored to be the first recipient of this award and to see Charlie Sifford be recognized for breaking down barriers that never should have been put in front of him and all others of color who strived to play this game. I was taught early on by my parents that golf should be a sport for everyone, and we can all diversify this game in so many ways.”
During her professional career Powell played in more than 250 tournaments. Since 1995 she has been the head PGA/LPGA professional at Clearview Golf Club in Ohio, established by her father, William Powell, in 1946 as the first golf course in the country designed, built, owned and operated by a Black person.
“The creation of this award will establish a platform for celebrating the significance of Charlie Sifford’s contributions to golf in the face of adversity,” said World Golf Hall of Fame CEO Greg McLaughlin. “In partnership with Southern Company, the Hall of Fame is committed to ensuring his legacy endures for future generations by recognizing others – like Renee Powell – who are devoted to making the sport a welcome environment for all.”
“On behalf of the Sifford family, we are immensely proud and honored to have this award established in my father’s name,” said Charles Sifford Jr. “My father, my number one hero, simply wanted to play the game he loved so much and – in this pursuit – endured enormous challenges as an African American golfer. His skills, perseverance, grit, and determination propelled him to continue his dream. He was successful despite having to overcome multiple barriers of discrimination. His hard-fought efforts paved the way for other minority golfers to pursue their career. This award is honorably illuminated by having a longtime family friend and successful African American female golfer, Renee Powell, as the first recipient. This really is something special.”
“There is a league, and there is another league … it’s like the cool ladies club there.”
BELLEAIR, Florida – Every time Jin Young Ko wins a tournament, she does the math to see how many points she needs to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame. It has been a goal, she said, since she took up the game as a 10-year-old in South Korea.
“Right now, I have 15 points,” Ko explained midway through the Pelican Women’s Championship, “so 12 points left. It’s going to be tough, but I just play four years, so that means it’s a big accomplishment, and I think I can do that.”
The LPGA’s Hall of Fame is the toughest to get into in all of sports. To date, there are 25 entrants. Players must amass 27 points and play 10 years to gain entry.
In addition to the $1.5 million that’s on the line at next week’s season-ending CME Group Tour Championship, there are three Hall of Fame points at stake. Tournament victories are worth one point, except for majors, which are worth two. Player of the Year and Vare Trophy winners get one point, too. (The Vare Trophy is awarded to the player with the season’s low scoring average.)
With one left in the season, Korda now holds a 10-point lead over Ko in the POY race after her victory at the Pelican Women’s Championship.
Both Ko and Korda have four wins apiece on the LPGA this season, though the young American won both a major and Olympic gold (which does not factor into the points system). Though many might consider Korda’s season to be the most impressive due to the weight of her titles, the LPGA’s cut-and-dry points system leaves no room for subjectivity. And Ko can still win it outright.
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Introduced in 1966, Judy Rankin has said players originally decided to use a points system to keep the award from becoming a popularity contest. Stacy Lewis, a two-time POY, likes it that way. So too, does Inbee Park.
Mel Reid, however, is among those who wouldn’t mind seeing the tour move to a voting system like the PGA Tour, saying that if she had to vote now, she’d pick Korda.
“That’s no disrespect to Jin Young Ko,” said Reid. “She’s a phenomenal player. But I think the pressures that Nelly has being American, you know, I would personally vote for Nelly. I think she’s handled it tremendously.”
The Korda sisters have big goals, of course, but when asked earlier in the week where the Hall of Fame stood, Jessica said it’s nothing that has really been on her radar, noting how difficult it is to amass 27 points. The elder Korda went on to say that the fact that Lorena Ochoa isn’t in the LPGA Hall of Fame is “laughable.” Ochoa, who is in the World Golf Hall of Fame, earned 37 points but retired before meeting the 10-year requirement.
“I think what we focus on is major championships,” said Nelly. “What I always focus on is CME and end-of-the-year Money List. That’s like where my main focus always is every year.”
An American player hasn’t qualified for the Hall of Fame since Juli Inkster in 1999.
Last year’s Player of the Year, Sei Young Kim said the Hall of Fame has been a big-picture goal since junior golf.
“That’s biggest motivation to me,” she said.
With the top three players – Ko, Korda and Park – all ineligible for the Vare Trophy because they won’t meet the minimum number of required rounds (70), Lydia Ko sits atop the standings at 69.391.
The Kiwi, however, almost missed out on the opportunity to win the Vare Trophy because as of late last week, she wasn’t in the field for the Pelican. Without it, she would’ve been one round shy of 70.
“I didn’t realize there was like a minimum round count,” said Ko. “I thought I played enough that I would count, and I thought the other three would, too.”
Ko, who has never won the Vare Trophy, currently has 19 Hall of Fame points. The Vare would get her to 20. Ko said winning the career Grand Slam is her biggest goal, and if she can get there, the Hall of Fame will likely sort itself out.
The 24-year-old said right from the start of her LPGA career that she’d like to retire by age 30.
Still plenty of time to get to 27 points.
“There is a league,” said Ko, “and there is another league … it’s like the cool ladies club there.”
New Orleans Saints fans attending this week’s game with the Atlanta Falcons are in for an extra treat: the Saints Hall of Fame will be inducting two Super Bowl XLIV champions to the list of honorees in strong safety Roman Harper and right guard Jahri Evans. The decision to induct both retired players was announced in June 2020, but the Saints opted to wait until the Caesars Superdome could give them a warmer reception in 2021.
Harper and Evans will join a host of their former Saints teammates in the team’s Hall of Fame, which includes Reggie Bush, Marques Colston, Lance Moore, Pierre Thomas, Jonathan Vilma, Carl Nicks, and the late Will Smith, among many others. Here’s what I wrote on the pair following last summer’s announcement:
Harper, who recently accepted a position with ESPN’s college football broadcast team, spent 9 of the 11 years he played in the NFL with New Orleans. He earned two Pro Bowl nods and helped win Super Bowl XLIV, ultimately suiting up for 132 games in black and gold (including the playoffs). He retired following the 2016 season, bowing out with the Saints after spending two seasons with the Carolina Panthers.
Additionally, Evans was a six-time Pro Bowler during his 11-year Saints career, including four appearances on the All-Pro first-team list. The right guard retired after the 2017 season, appearing in 14 games with the Green Bay Packers (all starts). He also won a title in Super Bowl XLIV and started all 179 games he played for the Saints, including the postseason.
What better time for these two Saints legends to get the recognition they deserve than in front of a 70,000-strong crowd turning up for a heated divisional rivalry game? Let’s hurry up and get on to Sunday.
Mike White’s historic first start has its own special place in the Hall of Fame after the QB led the Jets to a win over the Bengals.
Mike White is headed to the Hall of Fame… sort of.
White’s jersey and the game ball from the Jets’ 34-31 win over the Bengals was sent to Canton, Ohio, this week after the quarterback’s 405-yard performance in Week 8. White joined some historically exclusive clubs with his performance, including most completions by a quarterback in his first start.
He also joined Cam Newton as the only other quarterback since 1950 to throw for at least 400 yards in his NFL starting debut.
New Artifacts: The jersey of @nyjets QB @MikeWhiteQB & game ball from their Week 8 victory. He completed 37 passes for 405 yards & 3 TDs. His 37 completions are the most by a QB in their 1st start. Also became the 2nd QB since 1950 to throw for 400+ yards in debut.#TakeFlight
White’s dazzling Week 8 also earned him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. He’ll start again against the Colts on Thursday and likely until Zach Wilson returns from his knee injury.
After that, it’s unclear if White will remain the Jets’ starter if he continues to play well. Robert Saleh refused to say who would be QB1 once Wilson returns and Joe Douglas concurred with his coach on the subject.
Regardless, White’s legendary first start will be remembered at the Hall of Fame.
The Denver Broncos will honor former quarterback Peyton Manning during pregame on Sunday and again at halftime of their contest against the Washington Football Team in Week 8.
First, the team will unveil Manning’s new Ring of Fame pillar at 12:30 p.m. MT (fans are welcomed to attend). Then, at halftime, Manning will will address the stadium after receiving his Ring of Fame ring.
In addition to being honored for his Ring of Fame selection, Manning will also be recognized for being enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“He’s just a great guy,” Broncos coach Vic Fangio said Thursday. “Obviously, everybody knows about his football exploits, but [he’s] a great person. I feel honored to be able to call him a friend.”
Manning played four seasons in Denver from 2012-2015. The Broncos won the AFC West in all four seasons, reaching the Super Bowl twice. Manning retired from the NFL after winning Super Bowl 50 following the 2015 season.
El 11 de octubre, murió el antiguo campeón de peso wélter Tony DeMarco a los 89 años, ese día el mundo del box perdió a uno de sus veteranos venerados. Sin embargo, de los boxeadores vivos en el Salón Internacional de la Fama, DeMarco no era el de …
El 11 de octubre, murió el antiguo campeón de peso wélter Tony DeMarco a los 89 años, ese día el mundo del box perdió a uno de sus veteranos venerados.
Sin embargo, de los boxeadores vivos en el Salón Internacional de la Fama, DeMarco no era el de mayor edad. Esa distinción le pertenece a Barbara Buttrick, pionera del box de mujeres, quien cumplirá 92 años este 3 de diciembre.
Los siguientes boxeadores vivos en el Salón de la Fama de mayor edad son Eder Jofre y Carlo Ortíz, ambos de 85 años.
Buttrick (30-1-1) pertenece a la primera generación de la categoría Trailblazer de Mujeres, instaurada el año pasado. La eligieron junto con las también pioneras Jackie Tonawanda y Marian Trimiar.
Originaria de Londres, con 1.50 m de estatura y 44.5 Kg de peso, Buttrick empezó a entrenar cuando tenía 18 años y, según el Salón Internacional de la Fama del Boxeo, participó en peleas de exhibición en Europa como parte de una compañía itinerante de box. En esa época, el box profesional de mujeres estaba prohibido en el Reino Unido.
Conocida como “el poderoso átomo del cuadrilátero”, fue reconocida como campeona mundial de peso mosca cuando ella y su esposo y entrenador Len Smith viajaron a los Estados Unidos. Peleó a lo largo y ancho de América del Norte, y en 1957 ganó el título de peso gallo al vencer por puntos a Phyillis Kugler.
Buttrick entrenó en el famoso gimnasio de la calle 5 en Miami, y terminó estableciéndose en la Florida. Se retiró en 1961, pero siguió activa como mánager y entrenadora autorizada.
Eder Jofre (7-2-4, 50 KOs) es un antiguo campeón de dos divisiones de la década de 1960 y 1970, y es considerado como uno de los mejores pugilistas de todos los tiempos. Ortiz (61-7-1, 30 KO) fue alguien muy respetado, y muy posiblemente subvalorado. y poseedor del título de peso ligero en la década de 1960.
El periodista y autor Jerry Izenberg, de 91 años, es la persona viva no boxeadora de mayor edad en el Salón de la Fama, le sigue el periodista y locutor Larry Merchant con 90 años.
"Sam was as complete a player as I've ever been around." -Former Saints HC Jim Mora@ErinESummers and @JohnDeShazier chat with Mora about Sam Mills' Ring of Honor induction on today's podcast presented by @SeatGeek!https://t.co/pJQO8yGAWl
One member of the legendary Dome Patrol will soon be enshrined at the Caesars Superdome, where he and his teammates left their mark on NFL history. Sam Mills will be inducted to the New Orleans Saints Ring of Honor on Dec. 2, during halftime of the team’s game with the visiting Dallas Cowboys.
Mills, who died of cancer in 2005, is survived by his wife Melanie and their four children. After nine outstanding years with the Saints he joined the expansion-franchise Carolina Panthers first as a player and then a coach, endearing himself to the community so strongly that a bronze statue in his likeness stands outside their stadium to this day.
Hopefully some day soon Mills and his old Dome Patrol teammates will be memorialized outside the Superdome, too. Of the four-man linebacker corps only Pro Football Hall of Famer Rickey Jackson and Pat Swilling are still living, after Vaughan Johnson’s death in 2019. There’s a lot to be said for giving people their flowers while they’re still here to enjoy them.
Still, it’s going to be great to see Mills’ name in lights. The Saints Ring of Honor was established in 2013 and currently includes Jackson, his Pro Football Hall of Fame peers Morten Andersen and Willie Roaf, Archie Manning, and the late Will Smith and Tom Benson. That’s fine company for Mills to join, and we’ll be sure to celebrate it.
Ed McCaffrey, who won three Super Bowls during his 13-year career in the NFL, will enter the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in May. Well deserved!
Former Denver Broncos wide receiver Ed McCaffrey has been voted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame, the selection committee announced Tuesday.
McCaffrey played 13 seasons in the NFL as a wide receiver. After winning a Super Bowl as a rotational player with the San Francisco 49ers, McCaffrey went on to become a key member of Denver’s offense and won two more Super Bowls.
A one-time Pro Bowler and member of the Broncos’ 50th anniversary team, McCaffrey caught 565 receptions for 7,422 yards and 55 touchdowns during his playing days. After hanging up his cleats, McCaffrey transitioned to coaching.
McCaffrey started coaching at Valor Christian before later joining the University of Northern Colorado, where he’s currently coaching.
McCaffrey will be inducted at the CSHOF’s 57th annual banquet on May 4 next year at the Hilton Denver City Center. Joining McCaffrey in the 2022 class will be Carol Callan, Chuck Williams, Darnell McDonald, Roger Kinney and DaVarryl Williamson.
How can the women who laid the foundation for generations to come not be in the LPGA Hall of Fame?
Former LPGA commissioner Mike Whan used to call his annual round of golf at the Founders Cup with Shirley Spork the highlight of his year. Spork, 94, is one of 13 women who started the tour in 1950. Five years ago, as Spork addressed her pro-am group on the ninth tee at Phoenix’s Wildfire Golf Club, she said: “I’d just like to thank you all for inviting me to play.”
To which three-time major winner Anna Nordqvist replied: “We wouldn’t be here without you.”
Spork was on hand in New Jersey last week for the revamped Cognizant Founders Cup, which now boasts the richest purse on tour outside the majors and the CME Group Tour Championship. During Sunday’s telecast, Golf Channel’s Grant Boone noted that only five of the tour’s 13 founders are in the LPGA Hall of Fame.
Spork is not among them.
How can some of the women who laid the foundation for generations to come not be in the LPGA Hall of Fame? It’s as head-scratching as the fact that Lorena Ochoa isn’t in there either. Or Laura Davies for that matter.
Professional golfer and co-founder of the LPGA Tour, Shirley Spork stands on the first tee box during competition rounds of the Solheim Cup golf tournament at Inverness Club. (Photo: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports)
The LPGA’s Hall of Fame is the toughest to get into in all of sports. To date, there are 25 entrants. Players must amass 27 points and play 10 years to gain entry. Ochoa amassed 37 points in seven years before retiring in 2010. She’s the epitome of greatness in every imaginable way, and yet remains locked out of the tour’s greatest honor because she didn’t put in the required time.
“It just, to me, defies logic,” said 26-time winner Judy Rankin, “that you don’t take every possible avenue to celebrate our sport and the people who have been important to it.”
Dinah Shore, a Hollywood celebrity who helped grow the tour and ensure its survival, is the only honorary member. Rankin became the first player inducted through the Veteran’s Category in 2000. Donna Caponi followed in 2001, and founder Marlene Hagge in 2002.
For a player to be considered for the Veteran’s category, she should, among other things, have been an active member for 10 years and retired or inactive for five consecutive years before nomination.
The Veteran’s Committee hadn’t met for several years when Ochoa passed the five-year mark. In 2016, the tour formed an LPGA Hall of Fame Committee to review the Hall’s qualifications. It has now been several years since that committee has met, and so far, no decisions or changes have been made.
Both Ochoa and Davies have since been inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Davies, of course, remains active on the LPGA, competing in 11 events so far this season.
British Women’s Open champion Laura Davies of West Byfleet, England, cheers after winning the U.S. Women’s Open at the Plainfield Country Club in Edison, N.J., on July 28, 1987. Davies beat Ayako Okamoto of Japan and JoAnne Carner in a 18-hole playoff.
Beth Daniel, who went into the LPGA Hall of Fame in 1999, serves on the Hall committee and said a lot of important research was done several years ago, including talking to older players who put some of the regulations in place.
The 10-year rule was originally instituted, Daniel said, because players felt they needed their stars to survive. Some players today still believe that kind of commitment is important.
Daniel, however, looks at the fact that the LPGA lost Annika Sorenstam and Ochoa to retirement in the span of two years and, while the tour certainly took a hit, the LPGA marched on. She believes it’s time to retire the 10-year rule, but not everyone on that committee – and in the overall membership – agrees.
“Members are very proud of their hall,” Whan told Golfweek last spring. “There’s no judgement. These are the facts. You knew when you teed it up that this is what it takes to get in.”
To that end, Whan said he could make recommendations, but ultimately, he felt the players needed to make the call.
Chief Tour Operations Officer Heather Daly-Donofrio said the Hall of Fame Committee would reconvene sometime after the 2021 season to continue its review. This is the committee that would nominate a player. For a nominee from the committee to be accepted into the hall, 75 percent of LPGA membership must vote her in.
Earlier this year, the International Tennis Hall of Fame enshrined its first group with the “Original 9,” 50 years after nine women took a stand against inequality and signed $1 contracts that changed the face of tennis and paved the way for the WTA Tour.
Three of the women, including Billie Jean King, were already in the Hall and became the first to be inducted twice.
Left to right; Patty Berg, Betty Jameson, Jean Hopkins, and Louise Suggs, before the start of the Western Women’s Golf tournament, June 1946. (Copyright Unknown/USGA Museum)
The LPGA should consider something similar for its 13 founders next year. Spork and Hagge, the only two living founders, could accept on behalf of the group. Patty Berg, Betty Jameson, Louise Suggs, Babe Zaharias and Hagge are the five founders who are already in the LPGA Hall of Fame.
Perhaps the newly named Chevron Championship in Rancho Mirage, California, would be a good site to celebrate, given that the two founders reside nearby in the desert. The 2022 Chevron should be a who’s who gathering of all the greats next year as it wraps up 51 years at the Dinah Shore Tournament Course.
Put Ochoa in the Hall then, too, along with Davies, and make it a grand affair. Why should it matter that the legendary Englishwoman hasn’t retired?
As Boone says, the LPGA Hall of Fame tells the story of the 71-year-old tour. Can the story of the LPGA be told without the Founders? Without Ochoa? Without Davies?
Certainly not.
“We’re supposed to be about you can have it all,” said Rankin. “You can be every woman, every girl and still strive to be one of the best players in the world. A lot of people have done a lot of good for the LPGA tour and didn’t spend their life there.”
ICYMI: 7 former Saints nominated for Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022
Seven former New Orleans Saints players are among the 122 modern-era nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2022, all of whom have been up for consideration before. There are two prominent members of the legendary Dome Patrol defense in Pat Swilling and the late Sam Mills, as well as fan-favorite wide receiver Joe Horn. Mills has repeatedly made it to the finalist stage, but to no avail.
The list of 122 modern-era nominees will be thinned down to 25 semifinalists in November, and then further whittled down to 18 finalists in January. Only five members of that group will ultimately be enshrined in Canton, Ohio next summer. Here are the seven former Saints to make the initial cut:
