ST. AUGUSTINE -- There were some emotional moments Monday night, as the World Golf Hall of Fame inducted four new members.
With a full, orange moon shining down on the outdoor stadium, just outside the Hall of Fame building, a crowd watched two video screens filled with the face of Seve Ballesteros, paying tribute to inductee Jose Maria Olazabal. Ballesteros, who is suffering from cancer, was Olazabal's mentor, and he gamely spoke of his star pupil. Also, when Olazabal thanked his parents, who were present, in his native tongue, there were few dry eyes in the house.
Another emotional video came from inductee Christy O'Connor, whose health prevented him from traveling from Ireland, and Arnold Palmer's reminiscences on his relationship with inductee and former President Dwight Eisenhower showed an obvious affection between the two.
Lanny Wadkins, introduced by his long-time friend and former CBS co-worker Jim Nantz, was glib and entertaining most of his speech. He gave no hint that the honor had lost some of its luster for him, as he had told a reporter earlier.
But when Wadkins started talking about how much his brother Bobby meant to him, and how he had helped him in his Hall of Fame career, his voice trembled with emotion. Bobby, in the crowd with many of the family's friends and relatives, wept openly.
The inductees all contributed artifacts to the Hall, which are on display at the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Click here to see a video of the World Golf Hall of Fame.
