Golf Insider

Dwight Eisenhower in the World Golf Hall of Fame?

Yes, indeed. "Why?" you may ask. The former President rarely shot below 90. Well, golf's hall of fame honors the game's "greatest players and contributors," and Eisenhower, who played golf relentlessly and was the game's most public figure when he was President, is credited with doubling the number of golfers in the U.S. to roughly 6.4 million by the time he left office.

Lanny Wadkins, another 2009 inductee, is asking "Why not sooner?" Wadkins had to wait 14 years after he became eligible before he was selected by Hall of Fame voters, a year away from becoming ineligible.

"It's lost a little bit of its luster for me," the outspoken Wadkins admitted to Golf.com in an interview.

Wadkins had an extremely successful amateur career, but won only one major, the 1977 PGA. Still, he won 21 PGA Tour tournaments and has one of the best Ryder Cup records in history.

The other inductees are Christy O'Connor and Jose Maria Olazabal. O'Connor won 24 titles on the European Tour, 20 international tournaments and played on 10 Ryder Cup teams. Olazabal also had a superb amateur career and when he turned pro, won the Masters twice. He also played on seven Ryder Cup teams and had 21 European Tour wins and four PGA Tour victories.

The induction ceremony takes place Monday night at World Golf Village in St. Augustine. Look for my full report on the induction ceremonies Monday and Tuesday – including an interview with Wadkins – live from the World Golf Village.

Click here to see a video of World Golf Village.

Click here to see a video of the World Golf Hall of Fame.