St. Augustine, Fla. (February 7, 2006) – Spain’s Jose Maria Olazabal, whose 29 world-wide victories include two Masters Tournaments, has qualified for the 2006 International ballot, which is administered by the World Golf Hall of Fame. The International and PGA TOUR ballots will be distributed this week to their respective voting bodies comprised of golf journalists, historians and dignitaries from around the world.
"We look forward to learning the results of this year’s class so we can begin the process of their induction and most importantly, begin preparing to preserve their legacies amongst the game’s greatest players and contributors," said Jack Peter, Sr. Vice President & Chief Operating Officer.
In addition, American John Daly has been added to the PGA TOUR ballot. Daly has won two majors, the 1991 PGA Championship and 1995 Open Championship, along with three additional PGA TOUR and four international victories. During Olazabal’s more than two-decade professional career, he has 21 PGA European Tour, six PGA TOUR and two victories in Japan to his credit, plus has made six Ryder Cup appearances. Both Olazabal and Daly have fulfilled the final qualification to be placed on the ballot as they turn 40 years old in 2006.
Top finishers who again will be considered by the voting body include Larry Nelson, Curtis Strange, Henry Picard and Craig Wood on the PGA TOUR ballot and Jumbo Ozaki on the International ballot. The complete list of 2006 PGA TOUR and International candidates is below, as are the percentages from the 2005 ballot results.
Two modifications will take effect with the 2006 ballots. The ballot lifespan has been increased from 10 years to 15 years, meaning previous candidates will remain eligible through at least 2010. Also, after a candidate has been on either ballot for 10 years, he or she will automatically be eligible for consideration in the Veteran’s category.
In addition to the PGA TOUR and International ballots, avenues into the World Golf Hall of Fame include the LPGA Point System Criteria and Lifetime Achievement and Veteran’s categories.
The Class of 2006 will be announced later this spring and the Induction Ceremony is set for Monday, Oct. 30, 2006. Vijay Singh, who was elected in 2005 on the PGA TOUR ballot and deferred his induction, will join the Class of 2006.
2006 CANDIDATES
PGA TOUR Ballot International Ballot
Miller Barber Peter Alliss
Bob Charles Max Faulkner
Fred Couples Sandy Lyle
John Daly Graham Marsh
Doug Ford Colin Montgomerie
Hubert Green Kel Nagle
Don January Christy O’Connor Sr.
Tony Lema Jose Maria Olazabal
Davis Love III Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki
Harold "Jug" McSpaden Norman Von Nida
Larry Nelson Ian Woosnam
Mark O’Meara
Henry Picard
Denny Shute
Macdonald Smith
Dave Stockton
Curtis Strange
Ken Venturi
Lanny Wadkins
Craig Wood
Fuzzy Zoeller
2005 BALLOT RESULTS
PGA TOUR Ballot International Ballot
Vijay Singh (56%)- elected Ayako Okamoto (52%) – elected
Larry Nelson (55%) Jumbo Ozaki (48%)
Curtis Strange (50%) Sandy Lyle (29%)
Henry Picard (49%) Kel Nagle (25%)
Craig Wood (41%) Ian Woosnam (25%)
Lanny Wadkins (37%) Graham Marsh (22%)
Hubert Green (33%) Christy O’Connor Sr. (22%)
Tony Lema (28%) Colin Montgomerie (17%)
Bob Charles (26%) Peter Alliss (12%)
Denny Shute (23%) Norman Von Nida (10%)
Doug Ford (21%) Max Faulkner (7%)
Fred Couples (19%)
Don January (18%)
Davis Love III (16%)
Fuzzy Zoeller (16%)
Mark O’Meara (15%)
Ken Venturi (14%)
Miller Barber (14%)
Macdonald Smith (10%)
Harold McSpaden (9%)
Dave Stockton (7%)
Lee Janzen (1%)
About the World Golf Hall of Fame
World Golf Hall of Fame, located in St. Augustine, Fla., is the ultimate destination for the celebration and recognition of golf’s greatest players and contributors and an inspiration to golfers and fans throughout the world. A collaboration of 26 national and international golf organizations support the Hall of Fame, including the PGA TOUR, LPGA, USGA, PGA of America and The R&A. The museum houses interactive exhibits and historic and personal artifacts that tell the stories of its members and the game of golf. Adjacent is the World Golf Hall of Fame IMAX® Theater. For more information, visit www.wgv.com.
Contact:
Jane Fader
904-940-4009
jfader@wghof.org
