The World Golf Hall of Fame will welcome five new members at its annual induction ceremony on Monday, 30th October. The Class of 2006, which includes Larry Nelson, Vijay Singh, Marilynn Smith, the late Mark McCormack and Henry Picard, will bring the Hall of Fame’s membership to 114.
“The five inductees entering the Hall of Fame this year are truly deserving of the honour,” said Jack Peter, sr. vice president and chief operating officer of the Hall of Fame. “The contributions and successes each has brought to the sport have added a great deal to its history. We look forward to their stories being recognized at the ceremony as well as being preserved in detail throughout the museum.”
Selected in the Lifetime Achievement category, McCormack, the founder of IMG, will be introduced by Hall of Fame member Arnold Palmer. Palmer became McCormack’s first client in 1960, initiating the era of sports management and marketing that was the foundation for IMG, considered the world’s foremost sports, entertainment and media company. Until McCormack’s death in 2003, Palmer remained one of McCormack’s closest friends.
Nelson, elected on the 2006 PGA TOUR ballot, will be introduced by Hall of Fame member and global ambassador Gary Player. Nelson credits a Player-written golf tip as serving to inspire him early in his golf career. For years, Nelson has regarded Player as a close friend and an individual who is a “consummate professional.”
Picard, the Veteran’s category selection, will be introduced by Hall of Fame member Beth Daniel. Picard, a highly respected teacher, worked with Daniel on her game at the Country Club of Charleston, where they were both members.
Singh, elected on the 2005 PGA TOUR ballot, will be introduced by Ted Forstmann, chairman and chief executive officer of IMG Worldwide, Inc. Partners in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am since 1993 and in the Dunhill Links Championship for over six years, Singh and Forstmann share a business relationship and close friendship.
Smith, a Lifetime Achievement inductee and one of the 13 original founders of the LPGA, will be introduced at the ceremony by Hall of Fame member Kathy Whitworth. Whitworth and Smith enjoy a friendship and camaraderie having played against each other in the 1960s and 70s.
The 2006 World Golf Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place at World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Florida.
World Golf Hall of Fame www.wgv.com
Five new members for Hall of Fame
