By Joel Beall
Tiger Woods’ Hall of Fame induction will have to wait.

The ceremony for Woods, who was elected into the World Golf Hall of Fame in March, was supposed to take place in 2021. However, the World Golf Foundation announced Monday the celebration is delayed until 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Moving the ceremony back a year will give us a better opportunity to properly recognise and honour this important class,” said Greg McLaughlin, chief executive officer of the World Golf Foundation. “We look forward to shining a light on their achievements and inspiring future golfers around the world through this ceremony and celebration.”

The 15-time major winner will be honored at TPC Sawgrass during the 2022 Players Championship. Joining Woods in the Hall of Fame class are Susie Maxwell Berning, Marion Hollins and Tim Finchem.

Woods became eligible for Hall of Fame election thanks to a rule change in 2020, which moved the age requirement from 50 to 45 (Woods turns 45 on Dec. 30). The age limit had recently been moved from 40 to 50 just four years prior, but the Hall made the switch as “an effort to ensure the game’s greats from around the world are actively recognised and celebrated.”

“Recognising the game’s greatest players and contributors is an important endeavour and one our sport takes very seriously,” said World Golf Foundation board chairman and PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan. “We are committed to regularly evaluating the selection process to ensure we approach it with both historical context and the future in mind.”

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By Daniel Rapaport
PONTE VEDRA BEACH — The inevitable happened early Thursday UAE time. In perhaps the least surprising bit of news any golf fan could hear, Tiger Woods has been elected into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

“I am both honoured and humbled to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame,” Woods said in a statement. “This past year has been such an incredible journey, and the support I’ve received from my family, friends and fans has been overwhelming. This achievement is the ultimate recognition to never give up and keep chasing.”

Woods is the first member of the Class of 2021 picked by the Hall of Fame’s 20-member Selection Committee. The Committee voted on Wednesday from a list of 10 finalists. Additional inductees will be announced later, according to officials with the Hall of Fame. Specifics on the formal induction ceremony, which will take place next year, are also to be determined.

Woods, 44, has amassed 15 major championships and a record-tying 82 PGA Tour victories over his storied professional career. He’s one of the few phenoms who end up surpassing expectations—Woods won three straight U.S. Junior Amateurs and three straight U.S. Amateurs before turning professional in 1996.

He won his first major at the 1997 Masters, where he set the scoring record of 18 under par and won by a record 12 shots. He’d add 13 more majors over the next 11 years—including winning four in a row, the Tiger Slam, from the 2000 U.S. Open through the 2001 Masters—before winning his 15th last April at Augusta, after an 11-year drought marked by personal and physical struggles.

“Tiger has done more for the game of golf than anyone ever thought possible, and his historic feats on the course are only one aspect of his impact,” said PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan. “His imprint on the game is immeasurable, and his unparalleled legacy is one we look forward to celebrating as he’s inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame next year.”

Woods holds a number of PGA Tour records, including the most made cuts in a row (142) and most weeks spent atop the World Golf Rankings (683).

The only surprise is how soon Woods has been elected into the Hall of Fame—the minimum age for enshrinement had been 50 until it was moved to 45 earlier this year. Woods will turn 45 on Dec. 30.

The announcement comes during the Players Championship, which Woods is missing for the first time since 2017 to rest a sore back. He has maintained throughout the year that the singular goal of his preparation is to be ready to mount a strong title defence at Augusta National next month.

The remaining finalists who are being considered to join Woods are Johnny Farrell, Padraig Harrington, Tom Weiskopf, Susie Maxwell Berning, Beverly Hanson, Sandra Palmer and Dottie Pepper, and contributors Tim Finchem and Marion Hollins.

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