Golf Hall voting not a popularity contest
Getting into the World Golf Hall of Fame isn’t that easy.
Tiger Woods has won 47 times on the PGA Tour including 10 majors and he’s not even eligible. But, golfers like Denny Shute, Craig Wood and Graham Marsh are on the 2006 induction ballot.
There are 32 names in this year’s ballot and many are recognizable to even the casual golf fan. Domestically, the list includes Fred Couples, Davis Love III, Fuzzy Zoeller, Curtis Strange, fan-favorite John Daly and 16 others. The international ballot features Jose Maria Olazabal, Sandy Lyle, Ian Woosnam, Colin Montgomerie and seven more that only avid golf fans may know.
The issue isn’t who’s on the ballot, but who will get in this year and why some prominent names are missing. If Couples, Love and Daly are up for induction, then where’s Woods, Phil Mickelson and Justin Leonard? Between them, they’ve got 84 wins on the PGA Tour, including 13 majors and two Players Championship titles (Leonard in 1998 and Woods in 2001). And, where is Ernie Els, who has 15 Tour wins, another 42 international titles and two majors?
Despite impressive resumes, those guys aren’t in because they don’t meet one of the basic requirements for eligibility.
“In order to get on the ballot, a player must have 10 official PGA Tour wins or two majors and a Players Championship and they must be at least 40 years old,” explained Jack Peter, CEO of the World Golf Hall of Fame. “That’s why John Daly is on the ballot this year and Tiger isn’t.”
The qualifications for international players is a little different. Hall consideration is based on a win matrix involving the four majors — The Masters, the U.S. Open, the British Open and the PGA Championship — and The Players. They, too, must be 40 years old and have 10 years on the PGA Tour.
“You earn your way onto the ballot,” said Peter, explaining why active golfers are in the golf hall whereas the other major sports require their players be retired for several years. (The National Hockey League made an exception when it retired Wayne Gretzky’s No. 99 jersey league-wide and inducted him into the hockey hall in Toronto immediately following Gretzky’s retirement after the 1999 season.) “There’s no waiting period because golfers don’t really ever retire. Gary Player (who turned 70 last year) is still competing regularly.
“Knowing that, when this institution was put together in 1998, we knew we needed an alternative way to induct players while they continue to play.”
Peter said it’s good for all of golf to have members of the Golf Hall of Fame competing on a regular basis in tournaments all over the world.
“It’s an anomaly that’s unique to the sport,” he said.
Once on the ballot, though, golfers are at the mercy of about 225 golf writers, golf historians and living Hall members. That group got their ballots about three weeks ago and have until the Sunday of The Players Championship to return them. Every player that receives at least 65 percent of the vote is in, with an exception. Provided that at least 50 percent of the ballots are returned, the PGA and international player that receives the most votes is in. Last year, no one received 65 percent of the vote. However, Vijay Singh got 56 percent and Ayako Okamoto got 52 percent. Okamoto was inducted last fall while Singh, who deferred his induction, will be part of this year’s ceremony.
“Two weeks after The Players, our board of directors will meet at the Masters in Augusta to review the ballots and ratify the vote,” said Peter. “Following the Masters, we put out a series of press releases announcing the 2006 class.”
Peter said he doesn’t believe a golfer’s popularity is given more merit than their playing credentials. Daly has won two majors, but he only has three other PGA Tour wins and a handful of international titles. Daly’s career has also been plagued by off-the-course issues including divorces, alcohol problems, a musical career and his infamous trashing of a room at the Sawgrass Marriott several years ago during The Players.
“We spend a lot of time educating the writers on the process,” said Peter. “It’s not a popularity contest. People that deserve to be in are getting in. Hall of Fame caliber individuals will get in. I think the voters take it seriously and look at the merits of the player. I don’t think anyone that’s in the Hall, doesn’t deserve to be in.”
The PGA Tour ballot includes: Miller Barber, Bob Charles, Couples, Daly, Doug Ford, Hubert Green, Don January, Tony Lema, Love, Harold McSpaden, Larry Nelson (who was edged by Singh last year by 1 percentage point), Mark O’Meara, Henry Picard, Shute, Macdonald Smith, Dave Stockton, Strange, Ken Venturi, Lanny Wadkins, Wood and Zoeller.
The international ballot includes: Peter Alliss, Max Faulkner, Lyle, Montgomerie, Kel Nagle, Christy O’Connor, Olazabal, Masahi “Jumbo” Ozaki, Norman Von Nida and Woosnam.
Once nominated, players remain on the ballot until they receive enough votes for induction or 15 years. After 10 years, a player may be considered for the veteran’s category.
Tiger Woods has won 47 times on the PGA Tour including 10 majors and he’s not even eligible. But, golfers like Denny Shute, Craig Wood and Graham Marsh are on the 2006 induction ballot.
There are 32 names in this year’s ballot and many are recognizable to even the casual golf fan. Domestically, the list includes Fred Couples, Davis Love III, Fuzzy Zoeller, Curtis Strange, fan-favorite John Daly and 16 others. The international ballot features Jose Maria Olazabal, Sandy Lyle, Ian Woosnam, Colin Montgomerie and seven more that only avid golf fans may know.
The issue isn’t who’s on the ballot, but who will get in this year and why some prominent names are missing. If Couples, Love and Daly are up for induction, then where’s Woods, Phil Mickelson and Justin Leonard? Between them, they’ve got 84 wins on the PGA Tour, including 13 majors and two Players Championship titles (Leonard in 1998 and Woods in 2001). And, where is Ernie Els, who has 15 Tour wins, another 42 international titles and two majors?
Despite impressive resumes, those guys aren’t in because they don’t meet one of the basic requirements for eligibility.
“In order to get on the ballot, a player must have 10 official PGA Tour wins or two majors and a Players Championship and they must be at least 40 years old,” explained Jack Peter, CEO of the World Golf Hall of Fame. “That’s why John Daly is on the ballot this year and Tiger isn’t.”
The qualifications for international players is a little different. Hall consideration is based on a win matrix involving the four majors — The Masters, the U.S. Open, the British Open and the PGA Championship — and The Players. They, too, must be 40 years old and have 10 years on the PGA Tour.
“You earn your way onto the ballot,” said Peter, explaining why active golfers are in the golf hall whereas the other major sports require their players be retired for several years. (The National Hockey League made an exception when it retired Wayne Gretzky’s No. 99 jersey league-wide and inducted him into the hockey hall in Toronto immediately following Gretzky’s retirement after the 1999 season.) “There’s no waiting period because golfers don’t really ever retire. Gary Player (who turned 70 last year) is still competing regularly.
“Knowing that, when this institution was put together in 1998, we knew we needed an alternative way to induct players while they continue to play.”
Peter said it’s good for all of golf to have members of the Golf Hall of Fame competing on a regular basis in tournaments all over the world.
“It’s an anomaly that’s unique to the sport,” he said.
Once on the ballot, though, golfers are at the mercy of about 225 golf writers, golf historians and living Hall members. That group got their ballots about three weeks ago and have until the Sunday of The Players Championship to return them. Every player that receives at least 65 percent of the vote is in, with an exception. Provided that at least 50 percent of the ballots are returned, the PGA and international player that receives the most votes is in. Last year, no one received 65 percent of the vote. However, Vijay Singh got 56 percent and Ayako Okamoto got 52 percent. Okamoto was inducted last fall while Singh, who deferred his induction, will be part of this year’s ceremony.
“Two weeks after The Players, our board of directors will meet at the Masters in Augusta to review the ballots and ratify the vote,” said Peter. “Following the Masters, we put out a series of press releases announcing the 2006 class.”
Peter said he doesn’t believe a golfer’s popularity is given more merit than their playing credentials. Daly has won two majors, but he only has three other PGA Tour wins and a handful of international titles. Daly’s career has also been plagued by off-the-course issues including divorces, alcohol problems, a musical career and his infamous trashing of a room at the Sawgrass Marriott several years ago during The Players.
“We spend a lot of time educating the writers on the process,” said Peter. “It’s not a popularity contest. People that deserve to be in are getting in. Hall of Fame caliber individuals will get in. I think the voters take it seriously and look at the merits of the player. I don’t think anyone that’s in the Hall, doesn’t deserve to be in.”
The PGA Tour ballot includes: Miller Barber, Bob Charles, Couples, Daly, Doug Ford, Hubert Green, Don January, Tony Lema, Love, Harold McSpaden, Larry Nelson (who was edged by Singh last year by 1 percentage point), Mark O’Meara, Henry Picard, Shute, Macdonald Smith, Dave Stockton, Strange, Ken Venturi, Lanny Wadkins, Wood and Zoeller.
The international ballot includes: Peter Alliss, Max Faulkner, Lyle, Montgomerie, Kel Nagle, Christy O’Connor, Olazabal, Masahi “Jumbo” Ozaki, Norman Von Nida and Woosnam.
Once nominated, players remain on the ballot until they receive enough votes for induction or 15 years. After 10 years, a player may be considered for the veteran’s category.
posted by Michelle at 12:41 PM
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