2005 WGHOF Ballots

[iacas]

Kiran wrote it up here , but the basics are this: Vijay Singh, Fred Couples, Mark O'Meara, Davis Love II, and Colin Montgomerie have made it onto the ballot for consideration for the World Golf Hall of Fame. Players need 65% to make it.

My thoughts...

Vijay has a few years left. Wait until he stops playing so well before you vote him in. C'mon...

Colin hasn't won a damn thing. Money titles on the European Tour. Where has he ever been in the Majors? I am not sure a solid Ryder Cup record gets you into the Hall of Fame. Still, of this list, he's my favorite.

Fred, one major? Next. Mark, two majors in one year is a feat, but he's won, what, less than 20 times on tour? Davis Love III is in the same boat.

If I vote any of these guys on, it's Colin. I wait a few years and then Vijay is a lock. The others, they were good, but HOF material? I dunno. Perhaps my standards are too high, but I say no.

What do you think?

[gas_can]

Here's the criteria to get in:

• At least 40 years old
• Member 10 years
• 10 TOUR wins, or 2 wins among Masters, U.S. Open, British Open, PGA Championship, and THE PLAYERS Championship
• Champions Tour member five years
• 20 wins between TOUR, Champions Tour, or
• 5 wins among above listed, plus U.S. Senior Open, JELD-WEN Tradition, PGA Seniors' Championship, FORD SENIOR PLAYERS Championship
• Require votes on 65 percent of ballots returned

WGHOF needs to adopt a policy like all other sports where players aren't eligible until five years or so after retiring from the PGA tour or Champions tour (if that's where the player excelled).

As far as Couples, and O'Meara I can't really see them making it now. Freddie's got the Masters and a few tour wins, but he's never really achieved his full potential b/c of his back. O'Meara's kind of in the same boat, one foot in one foot on the shore. Perhaps a great Champions Tour career can get them there. With DLIII I think it's way too early to decide, he's still got 10 good years left to play barring injury.

My feelings are a little mixed about Vijay. Two majors and 25 tour wins is nothing to sneeze at, including 10 wins in a year. The money records shouldn't be considered b/c of inflation of tournament purses. Obviously he's not done yet with winning, but I think he's a pretty shure bet considering Greg Norman and Nick Price have already made it in.

[iacas]

Vijay is the world's best player, and he took title from a guy who was a shoo-in for the hall-of-fame after five years on tour. So I give him credit for that... but I also still say he's got plenty of years left to play, too.

Five years after they retire or move on to the Champions tour seems like a good thing to me. Vijay may play the regular tour until he's 52, but that still gets him in at 57. It's not like they have to worry about players dying before they're inducted or anything.

At least the WGHOF system isn't as bad as the LPGA's, where they just accumulate points and then get in. Kind of a crappy way to go about deciding things, I think.