VIDEO: Geoff Shackelford discusses Hall of Fame changes on Morning Drive.
By World Golf Hall of Fame
(The following edited content was supplied by the World Golf Hall of Fame in a news release.)
The World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum will introduce a new process for individuals to be inducted beginning with the Class of 2015, in an announcement made on Sunday by PGA TOUR Commissioner and chairman of the World Golf Foundation Board of Directors Tim Finchem. The changes are the result of an extensive review of the Ballot and Nomination process announced last fall. The review included an evaluation of the ballot system and voting body, along with criteria such as tournament victories and age, and the changing dynamics of the game and its constituents.
The Induction process will now be governed by a Selection Commission made up of 16 individuals who will be responsible for electing candidates into the Hall of Fame, with each Inductee needing at least 75 percent of the vote to gain entry. The Selection Commission will be Co-Chaired by Hall of Fame members Nancy Lopez, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, and Annika Sorenstam and will include the members of the World Golf Foundation Board of Directors and a mix of institutional and at-large seats.
“The Hall of Fame has established itself as the place to celebrate golf’s greatest players and contributors, and this process will ensure it maintains that place as the game continues to grow and evolve,” said Finchem.
“This is a great step for the Hall of Fame,” said Palmer.
“Golf is a global sport with a rich heritage that’s centuries old,” said Sorenstam. “I am honored to have been asked to play a role in determining which men and women have made the greatest impact and deserve the ultimate honor of enshrinement in the Hall of Fame.”
In addition, a Selection Sub-Committee has been established to oversee the qualification and vetting process and is responsible for submitting finalists for consideration to the Selection Commission. The Selection Sub-Committee will be comprised of 20 individuals, including six Hall of Fame members and a mix of institutional and at-large seats.
Four Categories
The new process will include four categories under which an individual may be considered for Induction: Male and Female Competitor Categories and the Veterans and Lifetime Achievement Categories.
The Male and Female Competitor Categories will have similar criteria for qualification: a player must have 15 or more official victories on approved tours or at least two victories among approved major events. Each player also must be at least 40 years old at the start of the year selections are made or at least five years removed from active competition. The Veterans Category will include players whose careers were primarily completed before 1975, and the Lifetime Achievement Category will continue to be made up of individuals who contributed to the game from outside of the competitive arena.
The new process will begin with the Selection Sub-Committee meeting this spring to debate the candidates in all four categories. It will then present five finalists in the Male and Female categories and three each in Veterans and Lifetime Achievement to the Selection Commission. In the summer, the Commission will discuss the merits and vote on the 16 finalists. Each new member of the class must receive at least 75 percent of the vote. Each class will include no more than five inductees. The Class of 2015 will be announced later this fall.
Starting with the 2015 event, the Induction Ceremony will become a biennial celebration with the following Ceremony taking place in 2017.