By: Brittany Schnorr, Manager of PR & Media Relations
In less than a month, Australian David Graham will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, which will be held on July 13 in the Home of Golf – St Andrews, Scotland.
Graham’s global accomplishments have warranted him a well-deserved seat in the Class of 2015. The Melbourne-native was first introduced to golf in his early years as he biked past Wattle Park’s nine-hole golf course on his daily trek to school. After a bout of curiosity led him to walk into the park’s golf shop, Graham was offered a weekend job on the golf course.
After turning professional at age 16, Graham jumped into what would become a highly successful golf career. Among his more than 20 worldwide victories, Graham won the 1979 PGA Championship at Oakland Hills Country Club and was the first Australian to win the 1981 U.S. Open at Merion, which is also Graham’s self-proclaimed “greatest memory.” These triumphs made him the only Australian to win two different major championships.
“I’d like to be remembered for where I came from, to where I got to,” said Graham. “I started out in a little back-room in Melbourne to finishing up being in the Hall of Fame. I’ve been married to the same woman for 46 years. I’ve got two good kids and helping to raise five grandchildren; but my goal was to come to the United States and be successful. So I think I’d just like to be remembered as a kid that came up and became successful.”
Graham’s final-round 67 at Merion is considered one of the best final rounds in major championship history; it even merited a post-round phone call from fellow Hall of Fame member Ben Hogan, who called it “one of the best rounds of golf I’ve ever seen.”
While Graham’s two biggest wins were on U.S. soil, the Australian is truly an international competitor with 36 professional tournament victories, joining Hall of Fame members Hale Irwin, Bernhard Langer and Gary Player as the only players to win events on six different continents. He represented Australia in three Dunhill Cups and two World Cups, winning the 1970 World Cup with Bruce Devlin. He was also the International Team captain in the first Presidents Cup competition in 1994.
Graham was named a Member of the Order of Australia in 1998. Two years later, he was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, and now goes into the history books as a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.
“Clearly, to be accepted into the World Golf Hall of Fame as a player is the icing on the cake on what has been a nice career,” said Graham. “It is a great honor for me, my wife, my kids and all of my friends.”
Check out David Graham’s interviews on the World Golf Hall of Fame YouTube channel. For more information on Graham’s highlights and the 2015 Induction process, click here.
The 2015 Induction Ceremony will be broadcast live on Golf Channel and Sky Sports at 1 p.m. EDT (6 p.m. GDT). The World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum will host a special event during the ceremony, broadcasting the event throughout the museum along with lunch, popcorn and tours of the new members’ exhibits.
