Four Inducted into World Golf Hall of Fame but Davies Misses Ceremony


Usually the ceremony for those inducted intothe World Golf Hall of Fame is a celebratory affair. Although two of the living inductees - Mark O'Meara and David Graham - were on hand (and the third, architect A.W. Tillinghast, was a posthumous honoree) Monday, the fourth, Laura Davies, wasn't able to get to St. Andrews, Scotland, due to airline delays.

Travel arrangements weren't provided by the HOF for Davies, who finished playing in the U.S. Women's Open in Lancaster, Pa., late Sunday and was forced to take a red-eye from Philadelphia to the UK. Unfortunately, the 51-year-old Englishwoman, winner of 84 professional tournaments including four majors, endured a four-hour flight delay that caused her to miss her induction.

The result was a lot of negative publicity for the World Golf Hall of Fame. While provisions for players like Jordan Spieth - winner of the recent John Deere Classic - are made to whisk them by private jet from one tournament site to another, in Spieth's case going from Silvis, Ill., to St. Andrews for this week's British Open, no similar arrangement was made for Davies, who had to fly commercial and missed out on one of the highlights of her career.

Because Davies wasn't able to get to St. Andrews a pre-recorded video of her acceptance speech was used. She finally made it to the post-ceremony reception, a surprise to hundreds of guests who thought she had abandoned efforts to get there. "Everything that seems to happen to me is weird," Davies said at the reception.

Worse, when she finally got to Edinburgh, her luggage wasn't on the plane. Thankfully, she had another bag that allowed her to wear something presentable. "I was quite upset," Davies said. "At the end, it was getting quite distressing."

Davies had a large group of family and friends at the induction, including the caddies of Justin Rose (Mark Fulcher) and Ian Poulter (Terry Mundy) who once caddied for Davies on the LPGA Tour. In addition, since the ceremony was in Scotland and Davies is British, the attendees weren't too pleased that she couldn't make it.

They weren't the only ones. Golf writer Ron Sirak called the failure of ensuring that Davies got to St. Andrews on time a "snub." Others said it was discriminatory. Hall of Famer Karrie Webb said on Twitter, "U can quote me if u want," she said in a direct message to Sirak after Davies' flight was grounded. "I've had enough of discrimination in my sport. And supposedly my world golf HOF!"

"That's just not right," Webb told Sirak about organizers scheduling the event the day after a women's major championship. "This meant so much to Laura and they don't even care if she can make it. They've taped an acceptance speech from her in case she's not there."

"They knew the risk and should have sent a private plane," four-time major winner and 2013 U.S. Solheim Cup captain Meg Mallon told Golfweek. "And put all her mates on, too!"

Tweeted Beth Daniel, "I am so sad and sickened that @LFCLJD was unable to make her @GolfHallofFame induction. Delayed flights from US. Lack of foresight by all."

Another tweet by Jane Crafter read, "They can get there from John Deere right?? I think schedule without thought of Laura & fellow Lpga peers."

In a statement, the HOF said, "As soon as her last putt dropped Sunday, the World Golf Hall of Fame and others onsite made every effort to get Laura to St. Andrews. Unfortunately, mechanical issues with her plane and other international travel logistics made it impossible for her to arrive on time."

O'Meara won 16 times on the PGA Tour, including the Masters and British Open in 1998 when he became at age 41 the oldest player to win two majors in one year. He also won the U.S. Amateur and titles worldwide.

Graham, an Australian who now lives in Montana, won two PGA Championship titles and the 1981 U.S. Open at Merion. Tillinghast designed more than 250 courses, including Winged Foot, Baltusrol and Bethpage Black.