Padraig Harrington, Tom Weiskopf, Johnny Farrell, Sandra Palmer, Beverly Hanson and seven LPGA founders will be inducted to the World Golf Hall of Fame for 2024.
The induction ceremony will take place June 10, 2024 at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in North Carolina, coinciding with the 124th U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. Also that week, the new Hall of Fame Museum, part of the new USGA Pinehurst campus, will be opening.
“This is obviously a huge honour,” said Harrington. “At this stage of my life, it gives me some validation to what I’ve done in golf.”
Among Harrington’s 21 professional victories, 15 came on the then-called European Tour and six on the PGA Tour. These wins include three major championships: the 2007 and ’08 Open Championships at Carnoustie and Royal Birkdale and the 2008 PGA Championship at Oakland Hills.
The Irishman was also a European Ryder Cup team member managing four victories in six appearances as a player, and was the 2021 captain when Team Europe lost to the USA 19-9 at Whistling Straits. Now 51, Harrington has won four times on the PGA Tour Champions including the U.S. Senior Open.
He now also plays part-time on the DP World and PGA Tours and recently made the cut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, and tied fourth at the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island.
Americans inducted
American Weiskopf won 16 times on the PGA Tour, with perhaps his most famous victory coming at the 1973 Open Championship at Royal Troon when he defeated Neil Coles and Jonny Miller by three shots. A month earlier Miller had won the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club with a final round 8-under par 63.
Following his playing career, Weiskopf became a celebrated course architect working initially in partnership with Jay Morrish before establishing his own practice. Among his designs are TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course and Loch Lomond. He died in August 2022 aged 79.
Also inducted in 2024 is the late Johnny Farrell, the American who beat Bobby Jones in a 36-hole play-off at the 1928 US Open at Olympia Fields. During his career the three-time Ryder Cup player famously won six consecutive tournaments.
Nine women have been inducted. American Sandra Palmer, recently turned 80, who won two majors in her career, including the 1975 U.S. Women’s Open, among 19 LPGA victories. She also won LPGA Player of the Year in 1975. Palmer collected 28 professional victories in all.
Palmer, 79, said: “I just couldn’t believe it when I got the call, this is my sixth time to be nominated. What an incredible group of women that I played with over the years.”
American Beverly Hanson was also inducted. She won three majors, including the 1955 Women’s PGA Championship, recorded 17 LPGA wins and was the leading money earner in 1958. She died in 2014 aged 89.
LPGA founders honoured
In 1950, the LPGA was founded and in 2024 seven co-founders will be inducted: Alice Bauer, Bettye Danoff, Helen Detweiler, Helen Hicks, Opal Hill, Shirley Spork and Sally Sessions.
The other six co-founders had already been inducted: Patty Berg, Marlene Bauer Hagge, Louise Suggs, Babe Zaharias, Marilynn Smith and Betty Jameson.
LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan said: “We owe the LPGA’s long and illustrious history to the dedicated efforts and incredible commitment of our 13 Founders. Their leadership created the most successful women’s sports organizations in the world.”
What is the World Golf Hall of Fame?
The World Golf Hall of Fame honours the sport’s greatest players and contributors. Members are professional and amateur golfers, architects, journalists and teachers.
The Hall of Fame now has three categories: Male and Female Competitor and Contributor. Eligible nominees are discussed by a sub-committee, who present five names for each category. A separate selection committee then votes, with successful nominees requiring 75% of the vote share.
Inductees include Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, Sam Snead, Walter Hagen, Bernhard Langer, Payne Stewart, Annika Sorenstam, Dame Laura Davies, and former U.S. Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and George H. W. Bush. Tiger Woods was inducted in 2022.
The World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum has now left Florida and returned to North Carolina. The Museum itself features many historic golf artefacts, works of art, audio, video and photography that is significant to the sport of golf.
