Hall of Fame Monday
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Golf Channel advertises their World Golf Hall of Fame induction ceremony telecast for a 10 p.m. EST Monday debut and there's plenty of great reading on the inductees.
Kevin Cook writes about Lanny Wadkins and the Hall of Fame curator Mark Cubbedge, who raided Lanny's closet to gather the necessary artifacts making his HOF exhibits to extraordinary.
There's also this video report and a Jay Haas tribute to Lanny here.
John Huggan profiles inductee Jose Maria Olazabal.
"His golf is his whole life, along with his family," says Dave "Buddy" Renwick, who caddied for Olazabal from 1986 to 1994. "I stayed with him for a week once. He goes into France to practise. All he did was play and practise two or three times, go hunting with his father and his six dogs and not much else. His is a very simple life. And he is a very genuine guy." That he is. It is hard to imagine another member of golf's elite who, in the midst of the emotional and physical turmoil that was his two-year exile from the game that has been his life, would send back the cheques he received from the club and ball manufacturers to which he was contracted at the time. But that is exactly what Olazabal did.
Arnold Palmer is quoted on his pal and inductee Dwight Eisenhower.
PGATour.com enlisted Brian Keough to profile inductee Christy O'Connor.
Besides getting ready for the induction ceremony, Cubbedge has been blogging about the joys of putting together this year's items, including an exhibit tour for families of inductees.
And if you want to know more about Cubbedge and the outstanding World Golf Village, I filed this review earlier this year.
Ron Sirak on Ike's influence:
According to a study by Golf Digest of his daily itinerary, from his inauguration Jan. 20, 1953 until he left office Jan. 20, 1961, Eisenhower played nearly 800 rounds and had more than 1,000 days in which he either played or practiced. Talk about a passion for golf. A photo of Ike with a golf club in his hand was invaluable advertising for the game.
When Eisenhower had vacation time he was usually off to Augusta National, where he was an 18 handicap. But he also was able to squeeze in a round at Burning Tree, outside D.C., or Newport, Cypress Point or some other great venue. He was the president, after all. The day after Palmer won his first Masters in 1958, he played Augusta National with Ike.
A few more stories:
Alistair Tait on Christy O'Connor and on Olazabal.
Adam Schupak writes about Ike while Jeff Rude covers Lanny.
