Els takes his place in the Hall of Fame

Three time Major Champion Ernie Els took his place among the golfing greats at the World Golf Hall of Fame and Museum at an induction ceremony at the World Golf Village in St Augustine, Florida on Monday.

Els, an Honorary Member of The European Tour, was inducted along with Frank Chirkinian, Doug Ford, the late Jock Hutchison, Jumbo Ozaki and former US President George H. W. Bush in the class of 2011.

The ceremony was all the more poignant following the death of fellow Hall of Famer, Seve Ballesteros, on Saturday. Simple black ribbons were attached to his locker and plaque while the Spanish flag flew at half-mast.

Els, who won the US Open in 1994 and 1997 and The Open Championship in 2002 among 26 European Tour titles and a further 40 worldwide, was introduced by Sunshine Tour Chairman Johann Rupert.

"The World Golf Hall of Fame is the perfect place for Ernie Els," said Rupert. More than any golfer of his generation, Ernie has been a world player, and he's a Hall of Famer in every way. He's always had a sense of history. As a teenager in South Africa he sought out Bobby Locke. In discussions of the '50s, he isn't mentioned nearly enough with Messrs. Hogan, Nelson and Snead. At Ernie's first American major, the '92 PGA Championship, he was paired with a 62-year-old Mr. Arnold Palmer. Ernie said I'll never forget the handshake on the first tee. As they walked off the course, the great man invited Ernie to play at his tournament at Bay Hill."

Rupert went to to talk about his growing up, his family and numerous triumphs and recalled Els' first of a record seven World Match Play victories at Wentworth in 1994, beating the late Seve Ballesteros along the way.

"The most memorable match was the semifinal against the late great Severiano Ballesteros. Between them in a single day, over 35 holes, they had 12 twos. Twice they chipped in on top of each other. I think one was for an eagle, both eagling it. In the locker room afterwards, Seve sat down next to Ernie's dad, Neels. 'Seven twos, and I still lose.'
Seve said, 'I tried very hard today, I played very well today, but your son is very special.' Neels' eyes I remember filled with tears.

Noting Els has only 41, Rupert added: "Ernie is far too young to be an elder statesman, but he is one in this sense. He has already given so much back to the game of golf. At this moment, half of the major championships are held by young South Africans whom he inspired and helped, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel. Their victories thrilled him."

The ‘Big Easy’ will tee up on Thursday in the opening round of the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass as the latest member of an exclusive club.

"It’ll be a very special feeling to step on the first tee knowing you’ve made the Hall of Fame," Els said. "I’m still trying to win golf tournaments, still trying to win major championships, and I think it’s a huge bonus for anybody’s career."

George O’Grady, Chief Executive of The European Tour, speaking as Chairman of the World Golf Foundation, said: “I can think of no more worthy candidate than Ernie to enter the World Golf Hall of Fame.

“He joins two South African legends of the game in Bobby Locke and Gary Player, which is testament to his immense ability, his superb achievements and the wonderful example he has set to all in the field of golf and, indeed, the world of sport.”

On the announcement last year that he was to be inducted, Golf legend and Hall of Fame Global Ambassador Gary Player said of his compatriot: “I was so pleased to hear the news that my fellow South African Ernie Els has been selected to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Ernie certainly deserves this recognition, as he epitomises a “world” golfer. He is a credit to the game and an ambassador for the sport. Ernie has been a wonderful friend over the years and I am very fond of him and his family.”

"It's been a long journey coming from South Africa," Els said at the two-hour ceremony.

Els is heavily involved in research and finding a cure for autism. His eight year old son, Ben, is autistic, and the boy was escorted into the room as a video of Els' career was being played, his eyes fixated on the screen. Els later spoke of the joy he feels having his son sit on the range with him as he hits balls.

"He'll sit there and watch the ball take off in the blue sky," Els said.

Els was elected on the PGA TOUR ballot. Japanese icon Jumbo Ozaki, who won more than 100 tournaments, was voted into the Hall of Fame on the International ballot.

Doug Ford and the late Jock Hutchison, both two-time major champions, were selected through the Veterans category.

Former President George H.W. Bush and the late Frank Chirkinian, the television golf producer for CBS Sports, were selected through the Lifetime Achievement category.

Their induction brought membership in the Hall of Fame to 136. You have to be 40 to be considered for the Hall of Fame and Els was voted in at the first opportunity.

"Coming from South Africa, I didn't even know there was a Hall of Fame," Els said. "I look back in the records now, the Hall of Fame has been going since 1940. So obviously, I missed something. My dream was to win majors and to try to do what Gary Player did, win the Grand Slam and win a bunch of golf tournaments, trying to get onto the US Tour and things like that."

Asked what made him unique, Els said he would leave that for others to decide.

"You don't get inducted in here without doing something to catch people's attention, whether it's winning 18 or 19 Majors like Jack Nicklaus or building golf courses like Pete Dye," he said. "There are people here that have done special things in the game of golf. I feel I've won my fair share of tournaments around the world, a truly global golfer like my idol, Gary Player."

“This is a special night," said World Golf Hall of Fame Chief Operating Officer Jack Peter. "The Class of 2011 comes from South Africa, Japan, the United States and Scotland. The global nature of this wonderful Class embodies so much of what the World Golf Hall of Fame stands for. We are thrilled to welcome all of them into the Hall of Fame family."

The six inductees also included Jock Hutchison, born in St. Andrews, Scotland, before moving to the United States where he became a citizen in 1920 when he was 36 years old. His return to St. Andrews a year later, though, was particularly heralded as Hutchison became the first American citizen and first player not based in the United Kingdom to win the Open Championship. Hutchison, who died in 1977 at the age of 93, also won the 1920 US PGA Championship and was runner-up in two US Opens. A 14-time winner on the US PGA TOUR, he also won the inaugural Senior PGA Championship at the Augusta National Golf Club in 1937 and captured the same title a decade later.

Doug Ford won the 1955 US PGA and the 1957 Masters, played in four Ryder Cup matches and won 19 US PGA Tour titles.Ford's victory at the US PGA came by a 4-and-3 margin over Cary Middlecoff. Two years later, Ford made up a three-stroke deficit to win the Masters, holing out from the bunker at the 18th green for a 66 to beat Sam Snead by three.

Masashi Ozaki, whose nickname is Jumbo, played professsional baseball for two years before turning to golf when he was 23. That turned out to be a smart move -- Ozaki is arguably the greatest Japanese golfer of all time. He has won 94 times on the Japan Tour -- over 40 more than his next closest competitor - and he still competes frequently at the age of 64. Ozaki, whose last victory came in 2002, led the Japan Tour money list a record 12 times. Known for his booming drives and flashy clothes, Ozaki was also ranked among the top 10 in the world for close to 200 weeks from 1989-1999, despite playing sparingly outside his homeland.

President George H.W. Bush has been an ardent supporter of the game throughout his life. The 41st President, who is now 86, has received a host of honours from the stewards of the game - including the 1997 PGA of America Distinguished Service Award, the 2008 Bob Jones Award give by the USGA and the 2009 PGA TOUR Lifetime Achievement Award. Since 1997, the former President has served as honorary chairman of The First Tee, which uses the game of golf to help young people build character and develop life-enhancing skills. President Bush was the honorary chairman of the Presidents Cup in 1996 and has attended every biennial competition between the United States and International Teams since. President Bush has also lent his support, along with former President Bill Clinton, to golf's cooperative efforts to raise funds to help victims of Hurricane Katrina and the earthquake in Haiti.

The late Frank Chirkinian is known in broadcast circles as the "father of golf on television" and it's that legacy that earned him a spot in the World Golf Hall of Fame. As the executive producer for golf on CBS from 1959-1996, Chirkinian left his imprint on every telecast to this day. He was the first to use cameras in blimps and on cranes, and he strategically put microphones on the ground to capture the sounds of the game. He also was the first to use roving reporteres to to call the action.

The putters that Els used to win his two US Opens and the green jacket Ford earned for winning the 1957 Masters are just some of the items that will be on display when the World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum opens its 2011 Inductee exhibits to the public on May 10. The exhibits include the Inductee Cases and Lockers filled with trophies, photographs and personal memorabilia.

The exhibits will be open to the public one day after the annual World Golf Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

“We treasure these exhibits because they paint a picture of each Inductee’s unique journey toward achieving the highest honor in golf,” said Jack Peter, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the World Golf Hall of Fame. “The hundreds of artifacts on display also give visitors an intimate view of the person behind the career. These exhibits reflect the special quality of the Class of 2011.”

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