Induction Ceremony to be held at Sunset Center in Carmel-By-The-Sea, Calif.;
Deadline for Media Credentials is Thursday, June 6
WHAT:
Five new members will soon earn golf’s highest honor as they are inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame during the 2019 Induction Ceremony on Monday, June 10, kicking off the U.S. Open Championship week. Retief Goosen, Billy Payne, Jan Stephenson, Dennis Walters and the late Peggy Kirk Bell will cap off their road to Induction amongst their closest friends and families at the ceremony, which takes place at the Sunset Center in Carmel-By-The-Sea, Calif.
Airing live on Golf Channel, ceremony coverage is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET. A record number of Hall of Fame Members are expected to attend the ceremony, including the Selection Commission Co-Chairs Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Nancy Lopez and Annika Sorenstam.
Photos and video footage from interviews with the Inductees, Selection Commission members and the Inductee exhibit at the Hall of Fame Museum are available. Additional footage from the ceremony will be distributed upon its conclusion.
Direct all media inquiries to Brittany Wynne at bwynne@wghof.org.
WHEN:
Monday, June 10, 2019
4:30 p.m. PT (7:30 p.m. ET)
WHERE:
Sunset Center
Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA
Interview Requests:
Select interview opportunities with the Inductees are available prior to the Induction Ceremony. Contact Brittany Wynne to secure pre-Induction interviews at bwynne@wghof.org.
Media Credentials:
The World Golf Hall of Fame invites members of the media to request credentials to the on-site Media Center by applying through the credential form. Limited space is available and the deadline to apply is Thursday, June 6. Credentials are required for the media center at the Sunset Center. The Media Center includes individual work stations, internet and a live broadcast of the ceremony provided for your convenience. All media members will be invited to attend the Induction Reception, immediately following the ceremony.
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ABOUT THE INDUCTEES:
Retief Goosen, South Africa
Male Competitor Category
Known affectionately as “The Goose,” Retief Goosen sat within the Official World Golf Ranking’s top 10 for more than 250 weeks from 2001 through 2007. His 33 worldwide wins include two U.S. Open Championships in 2001 – the same year he was named European Tour Player of the Year – and 2004. Goosen led the European Tour Order of Merit in 2001 and 2002. He also played in six consecutive Presidents Cups from 2000 to 2011 as part of the International Team.
Billy Payne, United States
Lifetime Achievement Category
During his 11 years as Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament from 2006 to 2017, William Porter “Billy” Payne oversaw a number of significant achievements. He originated Drive, Chip and Putt with the USGA and PGA of America in 2013 and established the Asia-Pacific Amateur and Latin America Amateur Championships, each offering guaranteed Masters’ invitations to the winners. Named the recipient of the GWAA’s William D. Richardson Award, Payne also received the Olympic Order of Gold after serving as president and CEO of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games from 1992 to ’96. Continuing his legacy and involvement with the Olympics, Payne was a key figure in the successful return of golf to the 2016 Games.
Jan Stephenson, Australia
Female Competitor Category
In her first season on the LPGA Tour in 1974, Jan Stephenson was named LPGA’s Rookie of the Year. She went on to lead an impressive career with 20 professional victories, including 16 on the LPGA Tour. She is a three-time Major Champion with wins at the 1981 du Maurier, 1982 LPGA Championship and the 1983 U.S. Women’s Open. Her impact on the game extends outside of her play as one of the founders of the Women’s Senior Golf Tour. She is involved with golf course design and has made many charitable contributions including being an honorary chair of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Stephenson was also honored with the Order of Australia Medal in 2018 for her contributions to the game of golf.
Dennis Walters, United States
Lifetime Achievement Category
Dennis Walters is an elite golfer who was paralyzed from the waist-down at the age of 24 following a golf cart accident. He has since dedicated his career to sharing life lessons and inspiring fans and disabled golfers of all ages through golf clinics and special performances at more than 3,000 worldwide appearances. Former spokesperson and national ambassador for The First Tee, his message is to always continue hoping and dreaming. He is one of only 11 honorary lifetime members of the PGA of America. Walters was also honored with the 1978 Ben Hogan Award and was a 2018 recipient of the USGA’s Bob Jones Award.
Peggy Kirk Bell, United States
Lifetime Achievement Category
Margaret Anne “Peggy” Kirk Bell took up the game as a teenager, making a name for herself as an amateur star. She went on to become a charter member of the Ladies Professional Golf Association in 1950 after winning the 1949 Titleholders Championship and participating on the winning 1950 Curtis Cup team. She received the PGA of America’s First Lady of Golf Award in 2007 and was an avid supporter of the game as a top 100 golf instructor, becoming the first woman selected into Golf Magazine’s World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame.
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About the World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum
The World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum celebrates golf and preserves the legacies of those who have made it great. The Hall of Fame & Museum, located at World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Florida, 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 World Golf Hall of Fame or to lend support, visit www.WorldGolfHallofFame.org.
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