Tom Kite will finally get his due as he and three others will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame on November 15th. The other inductees are Isao Aoki, Charlie Sifford and Marlene Stewart Streit.
Kite, who has 19 PGA Tour victories including the 1992 U.S. Open, said “When Ben (Crenshaw) and Mr. (Harvey) Penick got inducted two years ago, I was – you know in the back of my mind I was sitting there thinking, ‘Gosh, I would give anything to have my name put on that list with them.’ And here, it is going to happen. So I am very pleased.”
Isao Aoki said “This is a big surprise and joy. I am happy and happy – I have been doing what I love since I started. I want to thank my caddie and talented people like (Shigeki) Maruyama who have helped me and are doing great on the PGA Tour.”
Sifford, now 82 years of age, had given up hope for an induction. It seems that was the key for him, however. “Gary Player, Lee Trevino, Ben Crenshaw, Hale Irwin, there’s so many great players, I’ve been around them for 25, 30 years, and I’ve been up in there,” said Sifford.
“These are great guys. As long as I’ve been on the tour, all of them have treated me as I was one of those. I didn’t have the game that they had, but I had the determination. I wanted to be in the Hall of Fame, that’s what I started out to be, and I’m so proud they selected me and gave me this honor.”
Streit is the first Canadian to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. “I’ve played golf all my life for the love of the game,” she said. “I love to give back to the game and the young people in Canada, and this is very huge for Canada. I’m just proud. My greatest thrill in golf has been playing for my country.”
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