|
World Golf Hall Of Fame Releases 2003 PGA Tour & International Ballots Vijay Singh and Colin Montgomerie are the newest additions to the ballots Media Contact: Adam Schupak ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla., (March 17, 2003) - Their achievements are undeniable. Now the 39 eligible golfers on the 2003 ballots will be judged whether they will be included among the greatest in the game. Vijay Singh and Colin Montgomerie are the newest additions respectively to the PGA TOUR and International Ballots released this month to determine who will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame on October 20, 2003. Twenty-two of the 26 eligible golfers under consideration for the PGA TOUR ballot have won at least one Major during their career. In accordance with the eligibility criteria, Vijay Singh is the only newcomer to the 2003 PGA TOUR ballot. Singh, who turned 40 on February 22, is the winner of the 1999 PGA Championship and 2000 Masters. Earlier this year he collected his 12th PGA TOUR title by winning the Phoenix Open. Nick Price, who received the most support among the holdovers on the ballot last year, notched his 18th PGA TOUR victory last summer when he won the MasterCard Colonial. Tom Kite, a three-time winner last year on the Champions Tour, Fuzzy Zoeller (Senior PGA Championship), Hubert Green (Lightpath Long Island Classic), Curtis Strange (Ryder Cup captain) and Scott Hoch, winner of the 2003 Ford Championship, all padded their credentials in the past twelve months. Ben Crenshaw was the only PGA TOUR player elected on the 2002 ballot. Colin Montgomerie, who will turn 40 on June 23, is the only addition to the International Ballot, which consists of 13 candidates who have compiled a minimum of 50 points based on victories and team achievements. Montgomerie is the winner of an unprecedented seven consecutive European Tour Order of Merit titles. Isao Aoki, who added the 2002 Instinet Classic to his resume, is the leading returning vote-getter while Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki, who captured the Japan Golf Tour's ANA Open, increased his qualifying points to 225. Tony Jacklin was the only golfer to receive enough support for election on the 2002 International ballot. Members of the International voting body also received nomination forms for the Lifetime Achievement category and the World Golf Hall of Fame Advisory Board received nomination forms for the Veteran's category. The Class of 2003 will be announced later this spring. Currently, there are 96 members in the World Golf Hall of Fame. For more information on the 2003 Induction Ceremony, call 904-940-4123 or visit www.wgv.com. 2003 CANDIDATES PGA TOUR Ballot International Ballot About World Golf Hall of Fame The World Golf Hall of Fame is the centerpiece of World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Fla., and is a collaboration of 26 national and international golf organizations, including the PGA TOUR, LPGA, USGA, Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Augusta National Golf Club and the PGA of America. The facility houses interactive displays, historic artifacts, a special exhibit gallery, an IMAX Theater and the Hall of Fame itself, which honors the game's greatest players and contributors. The World Golf Foundation, Inc. oversees the World Golf Hall of Fame, The First Tee, GOLF 20/20: Vision for the Future and the National Minority Golf Foundation. It receives support from associations and companies throughout the golf industry, both in the U.S. and abroad. As sole founding partner of World Golf Village, Shell Oil Company provides financial support and plays the lead role in charitable initiatives aimed at introducing golf to young people, and through the golf experience promotes scholastic achievement, community service and those values intrinsic to the game of golf: honesty, integrity and sportsmanship. |