O’Meara, Davies headline Hall of Fame Class of 2015
St. Augustine, FL (Sports Network) – The World Golf Hall of Fame Class of 2015 was announced on Wednesday, with Mark O’Meara and Laura Davies headlining the group.
O’Meara and Davies, who have six major championship victories between the two of them, are joined in the class by two-time major champion David Graham and golf course architect A.W. Tillinghast. The four will be inducted in St. Andrews, Scotland on July 13, 2015, which is the Monday before the Open Championship.
For the first time, a selection committee, made up of 16 people, voted on a group of 16 finalists to determine this year’s class. O’Meara, Davies, Graham and Tillinghast all received at least 12 of the 16 votes required.
“We are thrilled to welcome Laura, David, Mark and A.W. into the World Golf Hall of Fame,” said Tim Finchem, PGA Tour Commissioner, Selection Commission member and chairman of the World Golf Foundation Board of Directors. “The new selection process provided a thorough examination of the candidates by a diverse, international group and we’re delighted with the outcome. Congratulations the Class of 2015.”
O’Meara has quite the playing resume, which is headlined by a big 1998 season when he won both of his major championships at the Masters and the Open. O’Meara is a 16-time winner on the PGA Tour and has also been apart of five different United States Ryder Cup teams.
“Thanks go out to my family and friends on this incredible day,” O’Meara said. “To have the great honor of being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame is a dream come true.”
Davies, a 20-time winner on the LPGA Tour, has won four major championships in her career, including two at the LPGA Championship in 1994 and 1996. Davies also won the U.S. Women’s Open in 1987 and the du Maurier Classic in 1996. Davies nearly had a fifth major title in 1994 when she finished runner-up at the Kraft Nabisco Championship.
“I’d like to thank the Selection Sub-Committee and the Selection Commission for bringing me into the Class of 2015; it is a wonderful honor,” said Davies. “I am especially looking forward to the induction ceremony at St. Andrews in 2015. It really will be a special event.”
Like O’Meara, Graham has also won two major championships at the 1979 PGA Championship and the 1981 U.S. Open. In fact, Graham became the first Australian to win the U.S. Open when he won by three shots at Merion Golf Club. Graham is only the third player to win a tournament on six different continents.
“Clearly, to be accepted into the World Golf Hall of Fame as player is the icing on the cake on what has been a nice career,” Graham stated. “It is a great honor for me, my wife, my kids and all of my friends.”
Tillinghast has over 100 courses to his credit in the United States, a number of which have played host to numerous major championships. Tillinghast designed courses such as Bethpage State Park, Baltusrol Golf Club, Winged Foot Golf Club and Somerset Hills Country Club among many others. Tillinghast was selected from the lifetime achievement category.
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