After the image of golf being tarnished by recent racist comments and a double Major winner walking off the course in Sydney, PGA Tour Commissioner, Tim Finchem has praised new World Golf Hall of Fame inductee, Phil Mickelson,.
Mickelson was confirmed as a 2012 inductee at a function in Singapore on Thursday night and after the current World No. 11 had signed for a level par 71 on the opening day of the Barclays Singapore Open.
Phil Mickelson at a press conference to confirm his entry next year into th Hall of Fame. With Mickelson is Keith Waters of the European Tour (left), Bob Diamond, CEO Barclays and PGA Commissioner, Tim Finchem. (Photo Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
Mickelson was elected through the PGA Tour ballot with 72% of the vote and nearly double that of nearest rival, Fred Couples.
In fact, Mickelson’s vote is the highest percentage a player has received on the PGA Tour ballot since Australia’s Greg Norman was awarded 80% of the vote in being inducted in 2001.
“Phil brings great value to our audiences to our sport the way he does and he brings great value to all the stake holders on the PGA Tour,” said Finchem who is travelling on Friday to Melbourne and next week’s Presidents Cup.
“More importantly, and outside the ropes, and because of his incredible competitive performances, and the way he has handled himself and his great deportment over the years, along with his support for charitable efforts and recognising our men and women in uniform, his role with his wife Amy with the Phil Mickelson Foundation, and for all those and many other things Phil does including just being out here every week playing and signing an enormous amount of autographs, he contributes so much to the number one asset of this sport and that is the image of the players.”
Mickelson responded to Finchem’s comments saying: “This is really a special and cool honour and I am excited to be a part of the Hall of Fame.
“I am excited to be a part of the Hall of Fame that has so many greats of the game that I have long idolised
“So to be a part of that group is a special feeling and I am looking forward to being a part of the inductees next May
“It’s just really cool to be a part of this elite club.”
