Wadkins gains hall

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- Lanny Wadkins, Jose Maria Olazabal and Christy O'Connor Sr. were inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame last night, a reward for hundreds of international victories and stellar performances under intense pressure in the Ryder Cup.

Wadkins, the son of a Richmond truck driver, won the U.S. Amateur title while at Wake Forest, then joined the PGA Tour and won 21 times, including the 1977 PGA Championship and the 1979 Players Championship. He was 20-11-3 in the Ryder Cup and is tied with Palmer for the most doubles victories.

"To join this (Hall) and be a part of something with my heroes . . . I am honored beyond belief," Wadkins said.

Joining them posthumously was President Dwight Eisenhower, whose love of golf has been credited for a surge in interest in the game while he was in office from 1952-1960. The number of people who took up golf in those years more than doubled, and golf historians credit a good portion of that surge to Eisenhower's visibility in playing the sport.