Tiger Woods will join three other golfers in entering the World Golf Hall of Fame. They will no doubt be overshadowed by a player who has transcended the sport like none other.
Maybe that’s just right.
Woods was just like this every time he teed it up. From his 1996 “Hello, world!” debut in Milwaukee, to his 15 majors, and 82 titles on PGA Tour, it was the same. Woods, win or not, was always playing and everyone was there for the ride.
Ernie Els may have summarised it as well as anyone back in 2000. Both had birdies on the playoff and matched their eagles at Kapalua’s 72nd hole. Woods defeated him on the second hole, with a 40-foot putt. This was his 18th win worldwide. It is also his fifth consecutive victory on the PGA Tour.
Woods had already met the current Hall of Fame requirements, except for his age of 24.
Els stated that Els was likely to be larger than Elvis in his 40s.
Woods is now 46 years old and will certainly be the star attraction at Wednesday’s induction ceremony. It will take place in front only 500 people, which is a small gallery.
His 14-year-old daughter Sam will be introducing him, making the night even more memorable.
Susie Maxwell Berning (three-time U.S. women’s Open champion), former PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem, and Marion Hollins (a U.S. Women’s Amateur champion, and the first woman golf course designer) are also on the trip.
Finchem was the leader of this tour that saw unprecedented growth. Woods was the engine if Finchem was at the wheel. Finchem joked when Finchem was asked about his 22-year tenure as commissioner if Woods had opted to play tennis.
He said, “It would be a much harder job.” “Tiger’s arrival on the scene… elevated our sport to a new level. It continues today. We were fortunate that he didn’t like tennis as a sport.
They all earned their places. All of them will be honored. Even if one person is the focus, all living relatives will enjoy a memorable night.
As always.
Rickie Fowler stated, “He should almost go in alone without any disrespect to anybody else.” It should be his induction. It could take away from the three others. Tiger is in the same category as Tiger, but he’s so much larger. There are many ways to view it.
Padraig Harrington discovered one of these ways.
He recalls when he was awarded an honorary doctorate by St Andrews University just before the 2010 British Open. It was an emotional evening with over 1,000 people in Younger Hall. Even though he had two claret glasses in his majors, few people were there to see Harrington.
Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson were also honored with honorary doctorates in that same year, as was Johann Rupert (South African billionaire, an influential figure in international golf).
Harrington stated, “It was an enormous deal to receive an honorary doctorate but it actually added my value that they were there with us.” “Arnold didn’t take away from it. Johann Rupert contributed 100% to this occasion. The Hall of Fame will give the people who get in a better day and better stories to tell.
“Maybe they won’t get the same media — but they could get more media, because there will more people covering it.”
No doubt there will be a lot of interest in the induction that was inevitable.
Zach Johnson, Ryder Cup captain, said that although he doesn’t know the criteria for eligibility, the man could have been inducted into the Hall of Fame fifteen-plus years ago. It will be a great celebration for a man who has elevated the game to heights most people don’t believe could be possible.
Based on Woods’ 1996 PGA Tour ballot, which required 10 wins and two majors (which included The Players Championship), he would have been able to meet the 1999 PGA Championship performance standards after only three years of playing on tour.
He had 10 wins and 2 majors in his 18 next tours. Woods managed to compile unbelievable numbers, despite having four swing coaches and twice the number of surgeries.
Harrington stated that Tiger changed the perception of golf as a game and made it a sport.
It’s shameful that so many people are unable to attend the induction ceremony. This is due to limited space at PGA Tour headquarters and $1,000 per ticket for a Hall of Fame fundraiser. With so little traffic, the future of the World Golf Village is in doubt. It’s located 25 miles from St. Augustine.
Johnny Miller and Nick Faldo were on the same stage at the World Golf Village’s first induction ceremony, which took place in 1998.
Tiger has been the focus of a lot of attention over the years. Bernhard Langer, Ben Crenshaw, and Annika Sorenstam were inducted together in 2002. Curtis Strange, Se Ri Pak, and Nick Price went in a year later. Peter Alliss entertained the crowd that night, even though Phil Mickelson was elected in 2002.
Even though one player stood out above the others — Karrie Webb 2005, Els 2011, that gap was not as wide as with Woods.
For as long as he’s been playing, he’s had the stage all to himself. The Hall of Fame is no exception.
