Raymond Floyd has slammed golf’s Hall of Fame declaring the Florida-based institution charged with recognising the greats of the game has lowered the bar by admitting those ‘who don’t belong’.
The Fort Bragg born Floyd was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989 on the back of Major Championship wins in the 1976 Masters, 1986 US Open and 1969 and 1982 PGA Championship.
Floyd, who went as close to completing the Grand Slam when he runner-up to Jack Nicklaus in the 1978 Open Championship at St. Andrews, also had 62 other pro career wins around the globe.
Four-time Major winning Ray Floyd joins Mark O’Mears in slamming Hall of Fame.
However this year’s Hall of Fame inductees include fellow American Fred Couples, who has just one Major Championship win to his credit and that in capturing the 1992 Masters.
As well, Couples is to be joined by Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie, who despite capture eight European Tour Order of Merit Titles and seven in succession, has never won a Major.
“The bar has been lowered,” said Floyd in the March edition of Golf magazine.
“Guys get voted into the Hall of Fame who don’t belong, who lack the numbers. I’m very upset at the Hall of Fame for that. It’s not fair to the people who went in early.”
Floyd, who turned 70 last September, joins fellow Masters champion, Mark O’Meara spoke exclusively with www.golfbytourmiss.com at last month’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
O’Meara, who also captured 1998 Open Championship in the same year he was fitted with an Augusta green jacket, has been blantanly overlooked not only by the Hall of Fame but by the PGA of America in being denied the USA Ryder Cup team and PGA Tour in being also snubbed the chance to also captain the USA Presidents Cup side.
Floyd also said the situation has become so bad he doesn’t bother to cast a vote.
“Just look at the inductees over the last six, eight, 10 years,” he said.
“Some years, I don’t even vote because the names are not worthy of induction. One major should not get you into the Hall of Fame — maybe one major and 40 wins.
“I’m not gonna pick a guy with one major and 11 wins.”
And when Couples and Montgomerie names were specifically menttioned Floyd was clearly at odds with the voting that will see pair inducted in May despite not mentioning their names directly.
“I’ll just say that you should have at least two majors, at least!” he said.
“Wow, there are guys in there that it’s a joke. It takes integrity away from the term “Hall of Fame.”
“I’m very upset at the Hall of Fame.”
www.golftourmiss.com has also backed the merits of double Major winning David Graham and one of the greatest woman players of all time, England’s Laura Davies.
Davies has won four Majors, all in the US, along with 20 LGPA victories, 45 European Tour wins, six LGPA of Japan wins, eight Australian LGPA victories and another nine around the globe.
