Jose Maria Olazabal, 43, of Spain, a two-time master champion and Lanny Wadkins, 59, PGA 1978 champion has been elected to the World Golf Hall of fame for the year 2009. International ballots voted Olazabal while PGA tour ballots voted Wadkins.
This week, Olazabal will be playing in the 22nd Masters which is a tournament he won in the year 1994 and 99. Aside from winning the tournament, he has on hand four other PGA Tour victories and 23 international wins.
While Wadkins has won the PGA Tour 21 times from 1972-92, though he was a bit emotional for not being elected in recent years, his supporters have been very vocal about the fact that he had more Tour wins than those of the Hall of Fames because he had 57 top 3 finishes which almost doubles Nelson’s achievements.
Whats common with Wadkins and Olazabal is that both of them have are among the most successful players in Ryder Cup history; for Olazabal in the 18-8-5 in seven Ryder Cups and 20-11-3 in eight appearances for Wadkins.
Like most players, both have also experienced a few injuries. Last year, Olazabal played only four Tour events because he was suffering from rheumatism. While back issues hampered Wadkins game and made him play only five Champion Tour events in 2008 and underwent a series of surgeries on his lower back.
On a news conference in April 23 at the Liberty of Mutual Legends of Golf in Savannah, Wadkins’ election will be announced.