Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. - Playing for the first time in a PGA Tour event at the Greater Milwaukee Open in August 1996 seemed like a formality, or perhaps even before, Tiger Woods was officially inducted into the World Golf Hall. Famous on Wednesday.
Woods, 46, was elected to the Hall of Fame in March 2020 and was to be inducted next year, but the ceremony was delayed due to COVID-19. The event was held at PGA Tour Headquarters; The World Golf Hall of Fame is about 25 miles away in St. Augustine, Florida.
Woods was introduced at the ceremony by his 14-year-old daughter, Sam.
During his induction speech, Woods talked about being denied entry to the All-White Country Club clubhouse when he was a junior and his parents taking out a second mortgage on their home to pay for their travel expenses. Were were
Woods said that his late father, Earl, and mother, Kultida, "inspired me to do what I believe in, to fight for, chase my dreams, give you nothing." Everything is being earned."
"If you don't go out there and put in the work, you don't go out and put in the effort, one, you won't get results, but two, and more importantly, you don't do it." Worth it," Woods said. "You need to earn it."
No one had a more profound impact on the game of golf than Woods, whose daring play and dominance attracted minorities to the game and made it good for younger generations to play. His popularity went beyond sports and made him one of the richest and most famous people in the world.
Woods claimed his first 15 major championships in his second year on the PGA Tour, when he won the 1997 Masters by a record-breaking 12 shots and set the scoring record at 18 under. He won the 2000 US Open by 15 strokes and the 2000 Open Championship by eight. In 2001, Woods became the only player in history to win four consecutive Majors - the last three major victories in 2000 and then the 2001 Masters - a feat that became known as the "Tiger Slam".
Woods won the Masters five times, the PGA Championship four times, and the US Open and Open Championship three times. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking for a record 683 weeks, set a PGA Tour record with 82 wins and a record 142 consecutive cuts.
After multiple knee and back surgeries, Woods won the 2019 Masters, his first major championship in 11 years.
"I know golf is an individual sport," Woods said. "We go through a lot for hours on end, but in my case, I didn't come here alone. I had incredible parents, mentors, friends who allowed me and supported me through the toughest of times, in the darkest of times." times, and most often observed."
Woods may not be done yet. He hasn't played in an official PGA Tour event since the Masters in November 2020. He suffered serious injuries to his right leg and right leg in a car wreck near Los Angeles on February 23, 2021. He underwent several surgeries and said that the final month he plans to return to competitive sport, but does not know when.
When Woods and his family arrived at PGA Tour headquarters hours before Wednesday night's ceremony, he wasn't wearing a big black sleeve that rests on his right leg in a recent public appearance.
"Recently, Dad has had to train harder than ever," Sam Woods said during his introduction speech. "About a year ago you were trapped in a hospital bed in one of the worst moments of your and our lives. We didn't know if you would come home with two legs. Now, not only you are the Hall of Fame Are about to join in, but you are standing on your own two feet here.
"That's why you deserve it, because you're a fighter. You've overcome the odds every time, being the first Black and Asian golfer to win a Major, being able to win your fifth Masters after multiple back surgeries And to be able to walk a few months after your accident."
Several PGA Tour players including Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Tony Finau and Bubba Watson attended the induction ceremony.
"I think the fact that he's a person of color and what that brings to the table in terms of golf is a more acceptable sport to play if you're from a certain ethnic background, I think it has taken a toll on the game." made a big impression, Rory McIlroy said this week. "I definitely think the game is more diverse because of them. And his game in general, and the excitement he generated around the game of golf, was that, I would say in his fanfare in the early 2000s, he was probably the most famous person in the world."
To put Woods' influence on the PGA Tour into perspective, consider that when he first played in the Players Championship in 1997, the net worth was $3.5 million. The winner of this week's tournament at TPC Sagaras will receive $3.6 million out of a $20 million purse.
"We, as his allies and teammates, have all benefited from this," McElroy said. "They made golf professional golf at the highest level, a very attractive thing to be involved in. TV paid more. Sponsors paid more. And then all of a sudden, their teammates and colleagues and other players were getting paid more. was because of him."
Former LPGA star Susie Maxwell Burning, U.S. Three-time winner of Women's Open; former PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem; and Marion Hollins, 1921 U.S. The Women's Amateur Champion and the first female golf course developer were also inducted.