Laura Davies and Mark O’Meara are two among four players chosen to be inducted into Golf Hall of Fame, Class of 2015. The other two players are David Graham and A.W. Tillinghast.
For the first time, a committee of sixteen, made up mostly of Golf Administrators chose the players to be inducted unlike the previous years when independent Golf writers made the choices. In order to be selected, one would have to get approval from 12 members at least.
In spite of having a great record, O’Meara was not selected in the previous years. He was hoping to get the award for quite some time now and he considers himself to be fortunate for being able to have this honour. He said that a golfer dreams of this day from the beginning of his/her career. He considers getting inducted into the golf Hall of fame to be the greatest achievement for a golfer.
Laura Davies could have received the honour years ago. To be eligible for getting inducted into the hall of fame, a player must have 27 points. Davies was stuck at 25 points since 2001. She was busy participating in events worldwide and she even refused enter her name in international ballot for the last ten years because she wanted to earn her way into the hall of fame.
The day before Davies was announced to be inducted into the Golf Hall of Fame, she received her insignia as the Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire at Buckingham Palace.
The induction ceremony is scheduled to be held at St Andrews University on the Monday of the next year’s British Open.
O’Meara won 16 PGA Tours and 34 International Titles. He was awarded the title “PGA Tour Player of the year” in 1998. He was the winner of 1979’s US Amateur Golf Championship. He was in five, Ryder Cup teams and also in two Presidents Cup teams.
Davies was victorious in 70 worldwide tournaments and Four LPGA majors. She was the winner of the US Women’s Open in 1987. She won LPGA Championship two times and won du Maurier Classic in 1996. She represented Europe in Solheim Cups for a record 12 times.