St. Augustine, Fla. (Sept. 22, 2014) – The World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum will stage the 2015 Induction Ceremony at the home of golf in St Andrews, Scotland, in conjunction with The Open Championship. The Ceremony will be held on Monday, July 13 at the University of St Andrews, just blocks from the Old Course, host site of that week’s 144th Open.
The move is part of an expanded biennial schedule for the Induction Ceremony and highlights the Hall of Fame’s ongoing strategic efforts to elevate its awareness and prestige around the world. That schedule includes returning to World Golf Village for the 2017 event, which will be held the Monday of THE PLAYERS Championship week. In 2019, the Induction Ceremony will move to Pebble Beach, Calif., and be staged on Monday of U.S. Open Championship week.
“This expanded schedule is an important step for the World Golf Hall of Fame as it continues to grow and cultivate audiences in the U.S. and abroad,” said Tim Finchem, PGA TOUR Commissioner and chairman of the World Golf Foundation Board of Directors. “The Board of Directors believes this is an excellent opportunity to raise the profile of the Induction Ceremony.”
The 2015 Ceremony will be held at the University of St Andrews, which has a history of recognizing golf’s greatest players. The University has conferred honorary Doctor of Law degrees to several Hall of Fame members – including Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player – in recognition of their outstanding achievements and contributions to the sport of golf.
“I am absolutely delighted that the first Induction Ceremony to be staged internationally is coming to St Andrews,” said Peter Dawson, Chief Executive of The R&A. “The Class of 2015 will have a truly special experience in being recognized in the place where golf began. There will be many thousands of visitors to St Andrews during the Open Championship and the Induction Ceremony will start the week with real fanfare.”
The Class of 2015 will be introduced later this year.
“This is an exciting opportunity to continue to increase the world-wide visibility of the Hall of Fame and Induction Ceremony,” said Jack Peter, Chief Operating Officer of the World Golf Hall of Fame. “St Andrews is an ideal location, considering its rich history with Hall of Fame members. I would like to thank our sponsors Shell Oil Company, Rolex and the Kohler Company, along with the Board of Directors, and The R&A and USGA in particular, for helping us bring the Class of 2015 and Class of 2019 Induction Ceremonies to two of golf’s most iconic locations.”
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About Shell Oil Company
As the Founding Partner of the World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum and World Golf Village, Shell Oil Company played a lead role in supporting the development and growth of the institution, which opened in 1998. Since then, their continued involvement has led the way for others to join in support of the Hall of Fame & Museum’s mission. For more information, go to www.Shell.com.
About Rolex
Leading brand of the Swiss watch industry, Rolex, headquartered in Geneva, enjoys an unrivalled reputation for quality and expertise the world over. Its Oyster watches, all certified as chronometers for their precision, are symbols of excellence, performance and prestige. Pioneer in the development of the wristwatch as early as 1905, the brand is at the origin of numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, and the Perpetual rotor self-winding mechanism introduced in 1931. Rolex has registered more than 400 patents in the course of its history. A truly integrated manufacturing company, Rolex designs, develops and produces in-house all the essential components of its watches, from the casting of the gold alloys to the machining, crafting, assembly and finishing of the movement, case, dial and bracelet. Rolex is also actively involved in supporting the arts, exploration, sports, the spirit of enterprise, and the environment through a broad palette of sponsoring activities as well as philanthropic programmes. For more information, visit www.Rolex.com.
About the World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum
The World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum preserves and honors the history of golf and the legacies of those who have made it great. The Hall of Fame and Museum, located at World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Fla., serves as a steward of the game through engaging, interactive storytelling and exhibitions featuring artifacts, works of art, audio, video and photography significant to the history of golf and its members.
The Hall of Fame is a 501(c)3 nonprofit institution and is allied with 26 national and international golf organizations, including The European Tour, LPGA, the Masters Tournament, PGA of America, PGA TOUR, The R&A and USGA. To learn more about the Hall of Fame or to lend support, visit www.WorldGolfHallofFame.org.
