PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Nominees are introduced in turn, along with a list of their accomplishments that support their induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame. With the exception of Tiger Woods.
There was nothing to say that was not seen or, at the very least, discussed. There was no debate. His election was approved unanimously.
Jon Rahm was not part of the committee that selected the recipients for the induction ceremony, held Wednesday evening. His reaction to the inevitable spoke for everyone in golf who has seen Woods win at a historic rate and leave an imprint on the sport measured in money and prestige for him and all who followed.
“What can I say about Tiger that we haven’t already said? “said the Spanish golfer.
“He inspired an entire generation. Besides entertaining us all for 20 years and achieving amazing things, he inspired the generation of players you see today. »
Woods headlined an induction ceremony on Wednesday that, appropriately, also included Tim Finchem. This former commissioner of the PGA TOUR has been able to leverage the powerful effect of Woods by increasing the purses astronomically and making the tour a destination of choice for players from all over the world.
Three-time U.S. Golf Open champion Susie Maxwell Berning and the late Marion Hollins, the first woman to develop golf courses and a former U.S. amateur champion, were also immortalized on Wednesday.
The ceremony was moved from the World Golf Village in Florida to the new PGA Tour headquarters, located about a mile from where Woods enjoyed his first moments of glory.
Of course, there was his presence at the Mike Douglas Show when he was a 2-year-old prodigy, and three consecutive United States Junior Amateur Championship titles.
It was on the famous island-shaped 17th green of the TPC Sawgrass course during the 1994 United States Amateur Championship that Woods made the very first uppercut that would define his way of celebrating.
It was the first of three straight U.S. Amateur Championship triumphs, an unprecedented feat. And it only got better.
His overall record is so impressive that Woods has enjoyed three Hall of Fame-worthy careers in one. After four full years as a professional, he had already completed the Grand Slam of golf and had 24 victories on the PGA Tour.
He won the 1997 Masters, his first Grand Slam triumph, by 12 strokes, one of 20 records he has set.
By the age of 30, he had already amassed 46 Tour victories and 10 Grand Slam triumphs, including a four-Major sweep, a feat no one had accomplished.
Today, Woods has 82 Tour wins, tied for first in PGA history, and 15 Grand Slam triumphs, three shy of Jack Nicklaus’ mark.
During the ceremony on Wednesday, he spoke about his parents who took out a second mortgage, allowing him to play on the junior circuit in California. He was gripped by emotion as he recalled his late father, who told him he was going to have to deserve whatever he wanted.
“If you don’t put in the effort, number one, you won’t get the results,” Woods said. But above all, you have not deserved what you wish to have. You have to deserve it. It defined how I grew up. It defined my career. »
Beyond the victories, there is the influence he had on the sport.
Woods never wanted to be seen as a golfer, but rather as an athlete. He wasn’t the first to hit the gym, but his dedication to strength and conditioning created a role model for others to follow.
“Tiger has changed people’s perception of golf from a game to a sport,” said Padraig Harrington.
The overall purse for the Players Championship this weekend is US$20 million, a detail that is not lost on golfers registered for the tournament. When Woods debuted in 1997, the overall purse was $3.5 million; the winner on Sunday will receive $3.6 million.
Woods’ popularity and showmanship were such that Finchem managed to turn them into TV deals that blew up the stock market.
“His impact on the sport is probably the most profound of all, especially in professional golf,” said Patrick Cantlay, who earned $15 million last year winning the FedEx Cup.
“I wouldn’t say I know enough about (Arnold) Palmer, Bobby Jones or Nicklaus to say what impact they had back then. But I think every pro here owes a debt of gratitude to Tiger because this sport wouldn’t be where it is today without his impact. »
