Tag: World Golf Hall of Fame

Tiger Woods among finalists for World Golf Hall of Fame induction

Tiger Woods might soon be in the World Golf Hall of Fame after making the list of 10 finalists that includes Dottie Pepper and Tim Finchem.

No surprise here.

Tiger Woods is among 10 finalists to be considered for induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame’s Class of 2021.

The World Golf Foundation board of directors recently lowered its age restriction from 50 to 45, clearing the way for Woods — who turns 45 in December — to enter the Hall of Fame next year. Hall of Fame members are also eligible if they have been retired for three or more years. The World Golf Foundation board also retired the veterans category and changed the name of the “Lifetime Achievement” category to “Contributor.”

Each of the 10 finalists finalist announced Tuesday morning, both male and female competitors and contributors, excelled in either on-course accomplishments or significant contributions to golf.

The competitors nominated for the Class of 2021 are Susie Maxwell Berning, Johnny Farrell, Beverly Hanson, Padraig Harrington, Sandra Palmer, Dottie Pepper, Tom Weiskopf and Woods. The contributors are former PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem and Marion Hollins, the 1921 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion who helped develop Cypress Point and Pasatiempo.

In order to be inducted, an individual must receive approval from at least 75% of the selection committee.

“The Nominating Committee has selected 10 finalists who represent the highest caliber of golfers and contributors,” CEO of World Golf Foundation Greg McLaughlin said in a statement. “The recent enhancements to the World Golf Hall of Fame Induction criteria provide a great process to ensure the most worthy of candidates are being considered. We are grateful to the Nominating Committee for their work and anticipate the Class of 2021 being one of our strongest to date.”

The Hall of Fame nominating committee is comprised of 26 individuals including Hall of Fame Members Juli Inkster, Hale Irwin, Meg Mallon, Colin Montgomerie, Mark O’Meara and Karrie Webb.

The inductees and details of the ceremony will be announced at a later date.

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World Golf Foundation CEO discusses Tiger Woods, age rule change, venue

World Golf Foundation CEO says players can be elected to the Hall of Fame at 44, as long as they turn 45 during the year they’re inducted.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – World Golf Foundation CEO Greg McLaughlin said the reason for lowering the age of eligibility for induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine from 50 to 45 was simple: the best players in the world are getting younger all the time.

“The [Foundation] board’s view is that we wanted to ensure the greatest players were recognized at the proper time,” McLaughlin said on Wednesday. “The best players and the winners are getting younger all the time. It’s our hope that lowering the age enables us to bring greater attention to those players and their careers earlier, rather than wait until they’re 50.”

The WGF board announced the change in age on Tuesday, along with an expansion of the voting body to 20 members and streamlining the induction categories. Nominees will be required to get 15 of 20 votes for induction.

The next Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled for 2021.

Farmers Insurance Open: Tee times, TV | Odds | Betting Tiger

McLaughlin said the nominating committee will meet soon and an induction class could be announced as soon as early April.

Half of the current top 20 in the World Golf Ranking are 30 or younger, including the top four: Brooks Koepka (29), Rory McIlroy (30), Jon Rahm (25) and Justin Thomas (26). Fifteen of the top 20 are 35 or younger.

Eight of the 14 PGA Tour events played so far this season have been won by players 30 or younger, and 12 by players 35 or younger.

The Hall of Fame has had three age requirements to induction since it was established in 1998. It began with a minimum age of 40, was raised to 50 in 2016, before McLaughlin took over as not only the CEO of the World Golf Foundation but the Hall of Fame as well, and is now back to 45.

McLaughlin said no individual player’s pending nomination went into the decision to change the age, but Tiger Woods turns 45 on Dec. 30. He said players can be elected to the Hall of Fame at 44, as long as they turn 45 at some point during the year they’re inducted.

That also makes Zach Johnson and Henrik Stenson, who turn 45 next year, eligible for induction in 2021. Johnson won the 2007 Masters and the 2015 British Open; and Stenson won the 2016 Open and the 2009 Players Championship.

Other players under 50 who are now eligible include 2003 U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk (49) and three-time major champion Padraig Harrington (48).

McLaughlin said the 2021 induction ceremony will follow the pattern of those held since 2015 when the event was moved from being held annually in St. Augustine to every two years at the site of a major championship or a significant event. Since then, ceremonies have been held at St. Andrews, Scotland, New York and Pebble Beach.

If Woods is voted in, two sites may leap to the front of the line: Torrey Pines near San Diego, where he won the 2008 U.S. Open in a 19-hole playoff against Rocco Mediate, while playing on a fractured leg; or St. Andrews, where Woods won the 2000 and 2005 British Open.

The 2021 U.S. Open returns to Torrey Pines and the British Open later that summer will be at St. Andrews.

Woods is a native of Southern California and also had won seven times at the PGA Tour event at Torrey Pines, the Farmers Insurance Open, which begins on Thursday.

McLaughlin didn’t rule out an induction ceremony returning to St. Augustine in the future – just not in 2021.

“We look at two things when considering sites for the induction ceremony,” he said. “Attendance, and we like to have as many past Hall of Fame members attend as we can. We have a better chance of that at the site of a major, or in cities such as New York or Los Angeles.

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Schupak: Tiger is the exception, don’t change rules for admittance into Hall

The World Golf Hall of Fame changed the eligibility age for the World Golf Hall of Fame. Call it the Tiger Rule. He’s a slam dunk for 2021.

The World Golf Foundation Board of Directors have lost their minds. They announced on Tuesday that it was lowering the age for eligibility to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame to 45. Just four years ago, it raised the age from 40 to 50, a move that was universally praised.

The Hall said the age was lowered this time to make “an effort to ensure the game’s greats from around the world are actively recognized and celebrated.”

This changed happened for one individual and one individual only: Tiger Woods, who just so happens to turn 45 in December.

The World Golf Hall of Fame hasn’t announced the site for the 2021 induction ceremony yet, but you heard it here first that it will be held in San Diego near Torrey Pines Golf Club, during U.S. Open week there. It would be a fitting spot, where Woods has won the Farmers Insurance Open seven times as well as the 2008 U.S. Open, and not far from the city where he grew up and learned the game. The most recent ceremony was held in 2019 on the Monday of the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. If not during the U.S. Open, how cool would it be to induct Woods during the British Open at St. Andrews, where the 2015 induction was held?

Tiger Woods hits a shot out of a bunker on the 18th hole during the final round of the 2019 Zozo Championship in Japan. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

But really, could the Hall be any more transparent with this announcement?

Greg McLaughlin, the CEO of the World Golf Foundation, which oversees the World Golf Hall of Fame, previously was the CEO of the Tiger Woods Foundation for 14 years. It’s obvious he’s received confirmation from Woods that he’s ready to begin working on his acceptance speech. Otherwise, this change would have never been made.

This is what the Hall’s release should have said: we’ve come to our senses and unanimously agreed that Tiger is already a Hall of Famer. Join us for a big party on June 14, 2021 at his Induction.

If ever there were a slam-dunk Hofer it is Tiger. Rumors have been floating around that the Hall was anxious to induct Tiger, who otherwise wouldn’t be eligible until 2027, and so I recently asked Hall of Fame ambassador Gary Player, whose infomercial PSA is back for yet another year in PGA Tour telecasts, if he supported Woods’ being admitted prior to turning 50.

“Absolutely,” Player said. “For what he has done for the game I would make him eligible immediately. As soon as they can. Sometimes rules are made to be broken. Sometimes rules aren’t common sense.”

Tiger Woods at the 2019 Northern Trust in Jersey City, New Jersey. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Woods has rewritten enough of golf’s record book that it is utter stupidity to wait six more years to start calling Tiger a Hall of Famer. One of the best lines of the 2019 Induction Ceremony belonged to inductee Dennis Walters, who said, “Can you believe I’m in the Hall of Fame before Tiger Woods?” Somehow Woods received the Presidential Medal of Freedom before his induction.

But the age eligibility didn’t need to be revised yet again; it only needed to be stated that Tiger is the exception to the rule.

Now, it’s time for Tiger to begin drafting his acceptance speech.

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Tiger Woods highlighting Class of 2021? World Golf Hall of Fame changes selection process

Sooner rather than later, maybe even in 2021, Tiger Woods will have the title of World Golf Hall of Famer.

Sooner rather than later, Tiger Woods will have the title of World Golf Hall of Famer.

While nothing is official yet, the 15-time major champion will now have a shot at the Class of 2021 after changes were made to the World Golf Hall of Fame’s eligibility and introduction process.

With the goal of ensuring golf’s greats are actively recognized and celebrated, the World Golf Foundation Board of Directors voted to lower the age of eligibility from 50 to 45 years of age, or three years retired from the game. The news was announced on Tuesday, along with the elimination of the Veterans category and replacing “Lifetime Achievement” recognition with “Contributor.”

Woods will turn 45 on December 30, 2020, just in time for next year’s induction.

“Recognizing the game’s greatest players and contributors is an important endeavor and one our sport takes very seriously,” said World Golf Foundation Board Chairman and PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan via  press release. “We are committed to regularly evaluating the selection process to ensure we approach it with both historical context and the future in mind. I believe these changes benefit the Hall of Fame Members, fans across the world and the institution.”

The Nominating and Selection Committees have expanded to now include 18 media members, while Hall of Famers Beth Daniel, Nick Price and Curtis Strange join Annika Sorenstam as Co-Chairs on the Selection Committee.

“Being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame was one of the defining moments of my career, and I am honored to serve on the Selection Committee,” said Sorenstam. “These changes are positive for the Hall of Fame, and I am pleased that future members can enjoy the recognition and celebration of their achievements beginning at age 45.”

The World Golf Hall of Fame, based in St. Augustine, Florida, currently recognizes 160 members.

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Jan Stephenson weighs in on Hall of Fame status and LPGA progress

Jan Stephenson, a newly minted member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, knows the payout at the CME Group Tour Championship is life-changing.

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Jan Stephenson, World Golf Hall of Famer. The former LPGA Tour star from Australia wasn’t sure those two groupings of words would ever be put together.

Stephenson was perhaps more famous for her marketing side, most notably the famous picture of her covered with golf balls in a bathtub, than she was for what she did as a player.

But 16 LPGA tour victories, including three majors, was finally enough to get in the Hall of Fame this year. She got the call from Nancy Lopez and was formally inducted at Pebble Beach in June.

“The thrill never goes away,” Stephenson, 67, said at the PGA Tour Superstore in Naples on Wednesday, where she sold bottles of her name-brand wine to raise money for her charity. “I remember sitting there at Pebble Beach the night before I was getting inducted. The old Hall of Famers take the new ones out to dinner. We were sitting right there at the Beach Club overlooking Pebble Beach. You look around the room and it’s Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, and the women, you’ve got Annika (Sorenstam), Betsy (King), and Joanne Carner.

CME Group Tour Championship: Tee times | Photos

“It just hit me then because you’re so wrapped up in the whole thing.  Now it was time to enjoy. ‘Wow, I’m one of them.’ It never goes away.”

Stephenson also made appearances at a pair of Total Wine stores in Naples on Thursday before heading back to the Tampa, Florida, area where she lives. She is still also a member at Pelican’s Nest Golf Club in Bonita Springs.

Aside from current LPGA player Minjee Lee, who has five wins, it has been quite a while since an Australian made a splash on the LPGA. But Aussie Hannah Green, 22, won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June by a stroke over Sung Hyun Park, one of the top players  in the world.

“That’s absolutely fantastic for Australian golf,” Stephenson said. “We had it when I did it and Greg (Norman) and Karrie (Webb). She’s young enough that that’s going to kick off a lot of young juniors wanting to do it.

“She can play. She’s proven it under pressure. She played a junior-senior event in Perth. She was very young. You could tell then that she was going to be good.”

Green has the chance, along with 59 others in the CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club this week, to take home the winner’s check of $1.5 million. It’s the most ever in women’s golf. The event’s total purse is $5 million.

“It’s great for women’s golf that we can say that,” Stephenson said. “We’ve always said that it’s equal. We still have so many of the same expenses (as the PGA Tour players) — the travel and the caddie and the rental car.

“Something like this, it means more because it’ll change their life. Now $1.5 (million) you can put all of that and invest it. You know your life is taken of — which is what the PGA has every week.”

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