2015 Hall Of Fame Class Announced

The first class under the new Hall Of Fame guidelines was announced this week, as Mark O'Meara, Laura Davies, David Graham, and A.W. Tillinghast were names as the newest Hall Of Fame Class.

A.W. Tillinghast played golf in the early 1900's, but is remembered most as a great golf architect that was responsible for some of the most iconic golf courses in America. Among the long list of courses that Tillinghast designed are Cedar Crest Park, Bethpage, Baltusrol, and Winged Foot, which hosted a combined five major championships. Tillinghast was also known as the first golf reporter, a master photographer (You can buy prints of his photos on his web site), and was the founder of the PGA of America.

David Graham was the winner of the 1979 PGA Championship and 1981 US Open. The Australian won 25 times world wide, including eight times on the PGA Tour. He was the captain for the International Team during the first President's Cup in 1994. He was elected to the Australia Sport Hall of Fame in 1990.

Mark O'Meara won 16 times on the PGA Tour and had one of the most incredible seasons of the 90's when he won the 1998 Masters and Open Championship. He also won three times on the European Tour, and won the 1979 Amateur Championship. O'Meara spent nearly 200 weeks in the top 10 in the world rankings between 1989 and 2000. He also represented the United States in the World Cup of Golf with his buddy Tiger Woods, which the duo won. In total, O'Meara won 34 times worldwide throughout the course of his career.

Dame Laura Davies may be the most overdue member of the Hall, winning an astonishing 84 times throughout the course of her career. She won a record 45 times on the Ladies European Tour, as well as 20 titles on the LPGA Tour. Davies made history in 2004 by being the first woman to compete in a European Tour event. Davies won four major titles, but also won the Ladies' British Open and the Evian Masters before they became majors on the LPGA Tour. Davies' last victory came in 2010, but nearly turned back the clock at this year's Women's British Open, when she finished 8th. Davies represented Team Europe in the Solheim Cup a record 12 times, most recently in 2011 when Team Europe defeated Team USA in a huge upset. Davies will one day captain the Solheim Cup team, and speculation is that it may happen next year. Her 25 total points won in Solheim Cup competition is the record.

The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on the eve of the Open Championship next year in St. Andrews. Congratulations to all four!