Inductees to be enshrined into the World Golf Hall of Fame on September 26, 2017 in New York City the week of the Presidents Cup
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (October 18, 2016) – The World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum today announced its 2017 Induction Class: Henry Longhurst, Davis Love III, Meg Mallon, Lorena Ochoa and Ian Woosnam.
These five new members will be enshrined at the World Golf Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Tuesday, September 26, 2017 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City the week of the Presidents Cup.
Following is a brief bio on each new inductee:
Henry Longhurst, United Kingdom
A weekly columnist for the London Sunday Times for 40 years. He was also considered to be the first golf TV personality providing coverage for the BBC from the 1950s until his death in 1978.
- “Henry Longhurst did something that no other journalist has done. He proved to be as apt, succinct, colorful, informative and compelling to listen to as he had been to read. He captivated people. He has influenced golf in the same way as many Hall of Fame members. I’m really pleased that we have recognized his achievements.” - John Hopkins
Davis Love III, United States
In a career that has spanned four decades on the PGA TOUR, Love has notched 22 victories including the 1997 PGA Championship and two victories at The PLAYERS Championship in 1992 and 2003. His quality of play has earned him a place on six U.S. Ryder Cup teams and six Presidents Cup teams. He has captained two Ryder Cup teams, including the victorious 2016 team. Love is a recipient of both the Payne Stewart and Bob Jones Awards.
- “Davis is a fixture on the PGA TOUR and has been for decades. He has contributed so much to the image of the game because of who he is, and the way he handles himself. Love is extremely well-respected by the other players, so having him contribute his time and energy to making the organization work better has been a very impactful thing. It makes us all smile to see him get the recognition he deserves and be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.” -PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem
- “Davis has an outstanding record not only as a player but as a gentleman. He’s been a tremendous contributor and has been an all-around man for golf. It’s terrific to see him in the World Golf Hall of Fame.” -Gary Player
Meg Mallon, United States
Her 18 career LPGA Tour victories and four Major Championships are just part of Mallon’s winning make-up. A member of nine Solheim Cup teams (captain in 2013), Mallon was recognized during the LPGA’s 50th Anniversary as one of the LPGA’s top-50 players and teachers. She also earned the Golf Writers Association of America Female Player of the Year award in 1991.
- “Meg Mallon has been a great player and a great contributor. She has been involved heavily in the game of golf. Everybody likes her; everybody knows what her talent is. She’s just an amazing gal, a fellow Buckeye and great member of the Class of 2017.” -Jack Nicklaus
Lorena Ochoa, Mexico
In her first full season on the LPGA Tour, Ochoa had eight top-10 finishes, finished ninth on the LPGA Tour’s money list and was named Rookie of the Year. She finished with 27 victories on the LPGA Tour, including two major championships. She was ranked World Number One for 158 consecutive weeks (2007-2010). In a three-year stretch (2006-2008), she won 21 tournaments, including the two majors and in 2008, she dominated with wins by as many as 11 strokes on more than one occasion. Ochoa will be the first Mexican-born golfer to enter into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
- “Being Mexican myself but being born in the United States, I’ve always been very proud of Lorena Ochoa, what she’s accomplished and the way she’s accomplished it with class and style. She is a role model for Mexican children. They can look at her and say, ‘She did it. Why can’t we?’” -Nancy Lopez
- “Lorena’s record speaks for itself. In addition to her wins on the LPGA, she also won Player of the Year numerous times. She has so many awards, which just shows how much she contributed to the game. She has reached a demographic that we didn’t see before.” -Annika Sorenstam
Ian Woosnam, United Kingdom
“Woosie,” winner of the 1991 Masters Tournament, sat atop the Official World Golf Rankings for 50 weeks throughout 1991 and 1992. His sterling play led him to represent Europe in eight consecutive Ryder Cup teams from 1983 to 1997. Woosnam won the Order of Merit as the leading money winner on the European Tour and named European Player of the Year in 1987 and 1990. In recognition of his contributions to golf, he was awarded the Queen’s honor of Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2006.
- “Woosie got a lot out of his game. He was a great competitor and handled himself very well. He’s been on a lot of Ryder Cup teams and captained quite a bit. He’s been a great contributor to golf from the European side, and I’m delighted to have him inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.” -Jack Nicklaus
These five Inductees will bring the total number of World Golf Hall of Fame Members to 155.
“Thanks to the hard work and diligence of both the Selection Sub-Committee and the Selection Commission, we have the privilege of bringing in one of our strongest classes to date,” said Jack Peter, President of the World Golf Hall of Fame. “We look forward to an exciting year ahead as we prepare for the Induction Ceremony, which will be hosted appropriately in the ‘city of dreams’ – New York City – this September.”
The Class of 2017 was elected by the Hall of Fame’s Selection Commission, which debated a group of 16 Finalists. The five members of the Class of 2017 each passed the required 75 percent voting threshold – approval by at least 12 of the 16 members.
The Selection Commission was co-chaired by Hall of Fame Members Nancy Lopez, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Annika Sorenstam and included the Members of the World Golf Foundation Board of Directors and a mix of institutional and at-large seats.
The Commission elected the Class of 2017 from 16 Finalists, which were vetted by the Hall of Fame’s Selection Sub-Committee. The Sub-Committee vetted every candidate that met the qualifications of the Hall of Fame’s four Induction categories. It presented the following group of Finalists to the Commission:
Candidates
- Susie Berning
- Johnny Farrell
- Max Faulkner
- Peggy Kirk Bell
- Catherine Lacoste
- Henry Longhurst
- Davis Love III
- Meg Mallon
- Graham Marsh
- Lorena Ochoa
- Sandra Palmer
- Calvin Peete
- Samuel Ryder
- Macdonald Smith
- Jan Stephenson
- Ian Woosnam
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