Enlarge imageMIAMI (Reuters) - Jose Maria Olazabal, Lanny Wadkins and Christy O'Connor celebrated their elevation to the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, Florida on Monday.
Double U.S. Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain, American Wadkins and Irishman O'Connor, whose European Tour career spanned four decades, were inducted at the World Golf Village as part of the class of 2009.
Olazabal, who was movingly introduced by his compatriot and good friend Seve Ballesteros via video, bracketed his induction with the two Green Jackets he clinched at Augusta National in 1994 and 1999.
"This would have to be well up there with the Masters championships," the 43-year-old told Reuters by telephone before the induction ceremony.
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"It is the recognition of a lifelong career for some great achievements and at the same time it somehow represents the way you have behaved all through these years, on and off the golf course. I think it is the best reward any golfer can get."
Olazabal paid special tribute to Ballesteros, the first Spaniard to be inducted, who has been recovering from multiple surgeries last year to remove a brain tumour.
"Seve has been my mentor," he said. "I first met him when I was 15 years old and we have had a great relationship. That makes it so much more special having him doing the introduction to the Hall of Fame.
"It is overwhelming," added Olazabal, who has won 29 tournaments worldwide and played in seven Ryder Cups.
Wadkins, a fierce competitor whose only major victory came at the 1977 PGA Championship, was also humbled by his induction.
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"This puts you in a very elite category of players," the 59-year-old said. "I've come through here and I feel a little unworthy sometimes.
"I feel like I did a lot, especially compared to a lot of players, but then I start looking at people that are my heroes and how much they've done here.
"It's almost like there ought to be a special Hall of Fame for the Hogans and Sneads and Nicklauses and Trevinos and Palmers and Watsons. What they've done, it's mindboggling."
Wadkins triumphed 21 times on the PGA Tour, played in eight Ryder Cups and went on to captain the U.S. team in 1995.
O'Connor, who won 24 European Tour titles in a glittering career, appeared on video back in Ireland for his Hall of Fame introduction by his nephew Christy O'Connor Jr.
The 84-year-old, affectionately known as 'Himself' among his peers, competed on 10 Ryder Cup teams and also claimed eight victories on the European senior circuit.
The fourth member of the class of 2009 was former U.S. President Dwight D Eisenhower, inducted posthumously on Monday.
A passionate player who was instrumental in popularizing the game after World War II, Eisenhower was selected in the Lifetime Achievement Category and is the first President to enter the Hall.
The World Golf Hall of Fame's voting body comprises Hall of Fame members, golf writers and historians, the WGF board of directors and members of the Hall of Fame's advisory board. (Writing by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Alastair Himmer)
