Irish veteran Christy O’Connor and two-time Masters Champion, José María Olazábal, along with the late  US President Dwight D. Eisenhower and 21-time US PGA Tour winner, Lanny Wadkins, have received golf’s highest honour by being inducted into the World Golf Hall at St.Augustine, Florida.

Broadcaster Jim Nantz, Christy O’Connor Jnr. and Arnold Palmer participated in the proceedings, while Seve Ballesteros presented José María Olazábal via a videotaped message at the Induction Ceremony.

Nantz, who shared broadcast responsibilities with Wadkins from 2002 to 2006, introduced his former colleague and friend during the event, while Irish golfer O’Connor, Jnr. presented his uncle, Christy.

Palmer spoke on behalf of the late President Eisenhower, extolling his contributions to the game of golf and 1999 inductee Ballesteros, who has been undergoing treatment for a malignant brain tumor, welcomed his friend and fellow Spaniard through a pre-recorded introduction.

Jack Peter, Sr. Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Hall of Fame, said, “I am honoured to congratulate our 2009 class. I am moved and inspired by the stories and anecdotes from and about our inductees each year and this year’s ceremony did not disappoint the more than 1,000 who showed up to see history in the making.” 

Elected on the International Ballot, Olazábal, the second Spaniard in the Hall of Fame, turned professional in 1985 and won the 1994 and 1999 Masters Tournaments, 21 European Tour titles and four US PGA Tour titles.  He also won in Japan twice.

Olazábal has represented Europe on seven Ryder Cups and served as assistant captain to Hall of Fame member Nick Faldo in 2008. He also played on the 1989 and 2000 World Cup teams.

Christy O’Connor, the Irishman affectionately nicknamed “Himself”, was selected in the Veterans Category. During his four-decade career, he won 24 titles on The European Tour, including the 1956 and 1959 British Masters and 20 additional international tournaments, including ten Irish PGAs. He was also on the senior circuit eight times and participated on ten Ryder Cup Teams.

Wadkins was named Rookie of the Year in 1972 by Golf Digest and is among the top 30 on the all-time US PGA Tour victory list. He was voted PGA Player of the Year in 1985, the year he won three Tour titles. Wadkins played on the US Ryder Cup Team eight times (a record he shares with Raymond Floyd and Billy Casper) with a 20-11-3 record and he served as US Ryder Cup Team Captain in 1995.

Eisenhower was selected in the Lifetime Achievement Category. During and subsequent to his years in the White House, he was the figurative face of golf in the public eye and, therefore, a significant contributor to the game’s tremendous growth in the latter half of the 1900s.

Eisenhower is credited with motivating millions of golfers over the age of 40 to try golf for the first time. According to author Don Van Natta, Jr., when Eisenhower took office in 1953, 3.2 million Americans played golf and by 1961, that number had doubled.

To view Jose Maria Olazabal's acceptance speech, click here and the transcript is available here

To view Christy O'Connor's acceptance speeck click here

For more information on the World Golf Hall of Fame or the 2009 class, visit www.wgv.com.