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A16 sports
Wednesday 9 March 2022
On course and in Hall of Fame, Tiger overshadows all

By DOUG FERGUSON
AP Golf Writer
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla.
(AP) — Tiger Woods is going
into the World Golf Hall of
Fame with three others who
no doubt will be overshad-
owed in the presence of a
player who transcended
the sport like no other.
Perhaps that's only fitting.
It was like that every time
Woods teed it up, from his
"Hello, world" debut in Mil-
waukee in 1996 through his
15 majors and 82 titles on
the PGA Tour. Win or not,
Woods was playing and it
seemed everyone else was
along for the ride.
Ernie Els might have
summed it up as well as
anyone in early 2000. They
matched eagles on the
72nd hole at Kapalua
and birdies in the playoff.
Woods beat him on the
second extra hole with a
40-foot putt for his 18th win
worldwide and fifth in a row
on the PGA Tour.
Except for his age — 24 —
Woods already had met
current Hall of Fame re-
quirements by then.
"He's probably going to be
bigger than Elvis when he Tiger Woods celebrates on the 18th green after wining the Tour Championship golf tournament Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018, in Atlanta.
gets into his 40s," Els said Associated Press
that day. instead. with 1,000 in attendance in been in the Hall of Fame 15- Tour headquarters (and
Now he is 46, and Woods "It would have been a Younger Hall. Even with two plus years ago," Ryder Cup $1,000 a ticket for a Hall of
certainly will be the star at- much more difficult job," he claret jugs among his three captain Zach Johnson said. Fame fundraiser). The fu-
traction when he is induct- said. "Tiger coming on the majors, not many were "It's going to be a nice cel- ture of the World Golf Vil-
ed Wednesday night, even scene ... took our sport to there to see Harrington. ebration for a guy who has lage, about 25 miles away
if it takes place in front of his another level. It continues Also receiving honorary taken the game to heights in St. Augustine, is in doubt
smallest gallery — no more on today. As a sport, we doctorates that year were that most people didn't with so little traffic.
than 500 are expected for were blessed he didn't like Arnold Palmer and Tom know could happen." Johnny Miller and Nick Fal-
the ceremony at the PGA tennis." Watson, along with South Based on the criteria when do shared the stage when
Tour's new headquarters. All of them earned their African billionaire Johann Woods turned pro in 1996 the World Golf Village first
Making the night even place. All will be honored. Rupert, a hugely influential — the PGA Tour ballot re- hosted the induction cer-
more special is his 14-year- The living members will figure in international golf. quired 10 victories and two emony in 1998.
old daughter, Sam, will be have a night to remem- "It was a big deal to get majors (that included The Over the years, no one else
introducing him. ber, even if the attention is an honorary doctorate, Players Championship) — captured Tiger's share of
Along for the ride are three- squarely on one person. but it actually added to he would have met the attention. Bernhard Langer
time U.S. Women's Open Just like always. mine that they were there performance standards at and Ben Crenshaw went in
champion Susie Maxwell "With no disrespect to any- with me," Harrington said. the 1999 PGA Champion- together in 2002, Nick Price
Berning, former PGA Tour one else, he should almost "Arnold did not take away ship after just three years and Annika Sorenstam a
Commissioner Tim Finchem go in on his own," Rickie from it. Johann Rupert add- on tour. year later, Curtis Strange
and the late Marion Hol- Fowler said. "It should be ed 100% to that occasion. In his next 18 starts on tour and Se Ri Pak in 2007. Even
lins, a U.S. Women's Ama- his induction. It takes away, The people getting in (the after that, he had 10 wins the year Phil Mickelson was
teur champion and the first potentially, from the other Hall of Fame), they'll have and two majors. Woods inducted, no one enter-
woman to develop golf three. Not a knock on Tiger a better day and a better compiled ridiculous num- tained that night like the
courses. being in the same class, story to tell. bers while going through late Peter Alliss.
Finchem led the tour to but he is so much bigger. "Maybe they won't get four swing coaches and And when one player
unprecedented growth. If There's a lot of ways to look the same media — or they twice as many surgeries. clearly stood out over the
he was behind the wheel, at it." could get more media be- "Tiger changed people's other inductees — Karrie
then Woods was the en- Padraig Harrington found cause there will be more perception of golf from Webb in 2005, Els in 2011 —
gine. In an interview after one of those ways. people covering it." a game to a sport," Har- that gap wasn't as large as
he was elected, Finchem He recalls the time he re- Interest, no doubt, will be rington said. it will be with Woods.
laughed when asked how ceived an honorary doctor- high for an induction that The shame is that more He's had the stage to him-
his 22 years as commis- ate from St Andrews Univer- was bound to happen. people can't attend the in- self for as long as he has
sioner would have been if sity before the 2010 British "I don't know the criteria, duction ceremony, a prod- played. The Hall of Fame is
Woods had played tennis Open, an emotional night but the man could have uct of limited space at PGA no different.q