Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington says he is ‘humbled’ by his induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Harrington won back-to-back Open Championships in 2007 and 2008 and also won the 2008 US PGA Championship among 21 tour wins. The 51-year-old Irishman continues to compete on the DP World Tour, the PGA Champions Tour and the Legends Tour, and won the US Senior Open last year.
“I’m very proud to be included with the players before me,” said Harrington, who becomes only the third Irishman to be invited to join the Hall of Fame after amateur Joe Carr and Christy O’Connor snr.
“This is very exciting, obviously a huge honour. It’s somewhat humbling,” said the former Ryder Cup captain. “At this stage of my life, it gives me some validation to what I’ve done in golf. It brings back a flood of memories. This is a deep-down satisfaction. Seeing your name beside the names that I’ve looked up to as a boy and young golfer, it’s very nice. Everybody on the ballot deserves to be there. It’s unfortunate that everyone can’t be in, but it’s great to be included in the Class of 2024.”
Harrington will be officially inducted to the World Golf Hall of Fame at a ceremony being held on June 10, 2024 at Pinehurst, coinciding with the 124th US Open Championship and the Hall of Fame Museum’s opening on the UGSA’s Golf House Pinehurst campus.
Harrington is among 11 others who have been accepted into the Hall of Fame for 2024. Those also to receive the honour are the late Tom Weiskopf, the late Johnny Farrell, Sandra Palmer, Beverly Hanson, and the remaining seven members of the 13-strong group who founded the LPGA Tour who have not already been inducted into the Hall of Fame – namely Alice Bauer, Bettye Danoff, Helen Detweiler, Helen Hicks, Opal Hill, Shirley Spork and Sally Sessions.
“Congratulations to all of our 12 World Golf Hall of Fame finalists, as each has truly made an indelible mark on the sport and led remarkable careers,” said Greg McLaughlin, CEO of World Golf Hall of Fame. “We look forward to welcoming the new class into the World Golf Hall of Fame as our Inductees next June and shining a light on their achievements.”
Those who were shortlisted but did not make the final list of inductees, included former R&A chief executive Peter Dawson, current tour players Jim Furyk and Cristie Kerr, retired tour players Dottie Pepper and Jay Sigel, and former tour player turned coach Butch Harmon.