Overview
The World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum will use the following process and criteria for an individual to be inducted:
Selection Committee
The World Golf Hall of Fame Selection Process is governed by a Selection Committee that is made of individuals who are responsible for electing individuals into the Hall of Fame. The Selection Committee includes Hall of Fame Members and a mix of institutional and at-large seats.
Nominating Committee
A Nominating Committee is tasked with overseeing the qualification and vetting process and is responsible for submitting finalists for consideration to the Selection Committee. The Nominating Committee is comprised of individuals, including several Hall of Fame Members and a mix of institutional and at-large seats.
Categories & Criteria
There are three categories under which an individual may be considered for Induction: Male and Female Competitor categories and the Contributor category.
Induction Process
Each new Class of Inductees will be selected after a vetting process by the World Golf Hall of Fame Members, Nominating Committee, and a final vote from the Selection Committee.
Please note below that the Nominating Committee is responsible for nominating candidates for the Contributor Category. The World Golf Hall of Fame is responsible for managing support materials, including letters of support, from the public. Please send all correspondence to letters@wghof.org and the Hall of Fame staff will respond as appropriate.
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Selection Committee
The Selection Committee is comprised of individuals tasked with electing inductees in the Male and Female Competitor Categories, as well as the Contributor Category.
Class of 2024 Selection Committee
Hall of Fame Members
Beth Daniel
Colin Montgomerie
Mark O’Meara
Annika Sorenstam
Institutional Seats
Will Jones, The Masters
Mollie Marcoux-Samaan, LPGA
Jay Monahan, PGA TOUR
Keith Pelley, European Tour
Martin Slumbers, The R&A
Seth Waugh, PGA of America
Mike Whan, USGA
Media
Max Alder, Golf Digest
Iain Carter, BBC
Jaime Diaz, Golf Channel
Doug Ferguson, Associated Press
Beth Ann Nichols, Golfweek
Amy Rogers, Golf Channel
At-Large Seats
Peter Bevacqua, NBC Sports Group
Jim Nantz, CBS
Jerry Tarde, Golf Digest/Discovery
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Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee is comprised of individuals, chaired by the Chief Executive Officer of the World Golf Hall of Fame. The Nominating Committee is tasked with evaluating qualified Male and Female Competitors and presenting the Selection Committee with finalists in both categories.
The Nominating Committee is also tasked with nominating and evaluating qualified candidates in the Contributor Category and presenting the Selection Committee with two finalists.
The Nominating Committee is comprised of the following individuals:
Chairman
World Golf Foundation CEO: Greg McLaughlin
Hall of Famers
World Golf Hall of Fame members selected by World Golf Foundation Board of Directors
Institutional Seats
Representatives from each of the World Golf Foundation Board Organizations
At-Large Seats
Individuals representing media and at-large selections chosen by the World Golf Foundation Board of Directors
Class of 2024 Nominating Committee Members
Alastair Johnston
Angela Howe
Bill Fields
Bill Gassen
Bob Harig
Cliff Brown
Dave Shedloski
Doug Ferguson
Guy Kinnings
Hale Irwin
Heather Daly
Jason Gore
Jim McCabe
Jimmy Roberts
John Hopkins
Juli Inkster
Karrie Webb
Kerry Haigh
Lewine Mair
Meg Mallon
Mike O’Malley
Nicki Hirayama
Reiko Takehawa
Retief Goosen
Rich Lerner
Richard Barrett
Ron Green Jr.
Ron Sirak
Seve Sands
Steve Ethun
Tommy Tangtiphaiboontana
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Categories & Criteria
Female Competitor
A player must have a cumulative total of 15 or more official victories on any of the approved tours and one (1) Major Championship; OR at least two (2) Major Championships (i.e. U.S. Women’s Open, KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, AIG Women’s British Open, Chevron Championship, The Amundi Evian Championship, du Maurier Classic, Titleholders Championship, LPGA Championship, and Women’s PGA Championship.)
A player must be at least 45 years old during the year of a given Induction Ceremony (i.e. A player be at least 45 years old in 2024 in order to qualify for the Class of 2024), or be at least three years removed from being an active participant on any of the tours, as determined by the Hall of Fame.
Male Competitor
A player must have a cumulative total of 15 or more official victories on any of the approved tours and one (1) Major/PLAYERS Championship; OR at least two (2) Major/PLAYERS Championship (i.e. The Masters, PLAYERS Championship, U.S. Open, Open Championship, and PGA Championship)
A player must be at least 45 years old during the year of a given Induction Ceremony (i.e. A player be at least 45 years old in 2024 in order to qualify for the Class of 2024), or be at least three years removed from being an active participant on any of the tours, as determined by the Hall of Fame.
Contributor
To be considered for selection in the Contributor category, an individual must have impacted the game significantly in areas outside of the competitive arena (i.e. administrator, course architect, innovator, instructor, media, etc.).
Individuals may be nominated in the Contributor category by a member of the Nominating Committee or a World Golf Hall of Fame member. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Vetting Process
Male & Female Competitor Categories
The Nominating Committee will review the list of players who meet the criteria to qualify in the Male and Female Competitor categories. In the first round of vetting, members of the World Golf Hall of Fame and Nominating Committee will submit their top Competitors in both the Male and Female categories.
The results will be tabulated and presented to the Nominating Committee for discussion in the second round of vetting. The Nominating Committee will then determine the finalists in both categories and submit the results to the Selection Committee for their final consideration.
Contributor Category
The Nominating Committee will review the list of individuals who have been nominated in the Contributor category. In the first round of vetting, each member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and Nominating Committee will submit their list of Contributors.
The results will be tabulated and presented to the Nominating Committee for discussion in the second round of vetting. The Nominating Committee will then determine the finalists and submit the results to the Selection Committee for their consideration. For a Contributor to remain on the ballot, an individual must receive at least one vote from a Hall of Fame or Nominating Committee member in the first round of vetting, within at least two selection cycles, otherwise that player will be removed from ballot, but is eligible to be re-nominated. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Finalist Stage
Class Size
The Selection Committee shall select a class from the categories listed below to be inducted in a single selection cycle.
Male & Female Competitor Categories
The Selection Committee will be presented with finalists in both the Male and Female Competitor categories to consider for induction. The Selection Committee will discuss the merits of each finalist and conduct a vote to determine if he or she will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
In order to be inducted, an individual must receive approval from at least 75% of the Selection Committee.
Contributor Category
The Selection Committee will be presented with finalists in the Contributor category to consider for induction. The Selection Committee will discuss the merits of each finalist and conduct a vote to determine if he or she will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
In order to be inducted, an individual must receive approval from at least 75% of the Selection Committee.
