Irish golfer Padraig Harrington, a three-time major champion, was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame on Monday. Also entering the new Hall were Sandra Palmer, the late Tom Weiskopf, Johnny Farrell, and Beverly Hanson, as well as the 13 LPGA Founders. The Hall of Fame has moved from Florida to Pinehurst and is opening this week.
Harrington, a 52-year-old from Dublin, won the 2007 and 2008 British Opens as well as the 2008 PGA Championship. He was named the European Tour Golfer of the Year in 2007 and 2008, the Order of Merit winner in 2006, and the US PGA Tour Player of the Year in 2008. Harrington expressed his excitement and gratitude for being included in the Hall of Fame, calling it a deep down satisfaction and validation of his accomplishments in golf.
Palmer, who won 19 LPGA Tour titles including two majors, the 1972 Titleholders Championship, and the 1975 US Women’s Open, was also inducted. The LPGA was founded in 1950 by 13 original players, and those players along with past inductees make up the prestigious list of names in the Hall of Fame. Harrington, Palmer, and the other inductees have left a lasting legacy in the world of golf.