Meg Mallon and Lorena Ochoa were officially inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame last night, alongside the PGA Tour’s Davis Love III and Ian Woosnam, as well as journalist Henry Longhurst.
Meg Mallon and Lorena Ochoa were officially inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame last night, alongside the PGA Tour’s Davis Love III and Ian Woosnam, as well as journalist Henry Longhurst.
Their fellow members, who attended the ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street, welcomed the 2017 class with open arms. LPGA Hall of Famers in attendance included Nancy Lopez, Juli Inkster, Beth Daniel, Judy Rankin, Kathy Whitworth, Pat Bradley, Patty Sheehan, Laura Davies and Betsy King.
Lorena Ochoa may be one of the greatest talents that has ever graced the fairways but her spot in the Hall of Fame wasn't always assured. Having made the surprise decision to retire from professional golf when she was just 28 to start a family, she failed to meet the ten-year membership requirement.
She was inducted despite the ambiguity in her eligibility thanks to her unbelievable dominance as a player. In a three-year stretch, she managed 21 victories and two major wins, and kept on iron grip on the World No. 1 spot during that period. Since retirement Ochoa has committed herself to helping impoverished children near her home in Guadalajara, Mexico and has enabled 4,000 underprivileged children to get an education.
Meg Mallon was not gifted with the same prestigious talent as Ochoa but rose to the top of the sport through sheer determination and hard work, doing it all with that famous smile on her face. She would achieve 18 LPGA victories, four of them major championships in her illustrious career, and represent America at eight Solheim Cups.
Among the people she thanked was fellow Hall of Famer Beth Daniel, acknowledging for the first time their 25-year relationship off the course.
“I have talked a lot about the people who have been instrumental in my career’s success,” Mallon said in her acceptance speech. “But now I want to mention the person who has been with me for the most fulfilling journey of my life, Beth. We are celebrating 25 years together later this year.''
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