Jack and Barbara Nicklaus, Gary Player, Fred Ridley and Actress Jane Seymour to Introduce Inductees at World Golf Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Induction Ceremony to air live on Golf Channel on June 10 with Terry Gannon as emcee
Golf legends and luminaries including Jack and Barbara Nicklaus, Gary Player, Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley and actress Jane Seymour will introduce the 2019 Inductees – Dennis Walters, Retief Goosen, Billy Payne and Jan Stephenson, respectively – into the World Golf Hall of Fame. The late Peggy Kirk Bell will be introduced with a special tribute video featuring her family.
The Inductees selected each presenter for the Induction Ceremony, which takes place on Monday, June 10 beginning at 7:30pm EDT, at the Sunset Center in Carmel-By-The-Sea, Calif., kicking off the U.S. Open Championship. 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.
In addition, Terry Gannon, veteran sportscaster for NBC Sports and Golf Channel, will emcee the ceremony.
“We are honored to have several of golf’s biggest icons and a Golden Globe winning actress help us recognize the Class of 2019 with golf’s highest honor,” said Greg McLaughlin, CEO of the World Golf Foundation. “We are also thrilled to have one of sports’ most versatile broadcasters, NBC’s Terry Gannon, as the emcee for the Ceremony, which will be held on the eve of the 119th U.S. Open at the famed Pebble Beach Golf Links. With a hundred years of golf history, Pebble Beach is the perfect location to enshrine five new members into the ranks of the World Golf Hall of Fame.”
Gannon has been a fixture on the Golf Channel since joining the network in 2010, and currently serves as a play-by-play host for PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour tournaments as well as the Ryder Cup. Gannon has also contributed to coverage of the Olympic Games, NBA, NCAA and the World Cup.
For more information on the Induction Ceremony and the World Golf Hall of Fame, visit WorldGolfHallofFame.org. Direct all media inquiries to Brittany Wynne at bwynne@wghof.org or (904) 940-4043.
Interview Requests:
Select interview opportunities with the Inductees are available in the weeks leading up 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. 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.
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
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.
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.
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.
