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Five named for 2017 World Golf Hall of Fame

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Ryder Cup 2016. Day Three. The United States Captain Davis Love III with the Ryder Cup after the United States victory in the Ryder Cup tournament at Hazeltine National Golf Club on October 02, 2016 in Chaska, Minnesota. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

Victorious Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III, along with Ian Woosnam, Lorena Ochoa, Meg Mallon, and journalist Henry Longhurst were named for the World Golf Hall of Fame class of 2017 on Tuesday.

Love won 21 PGA Tour victories, including the PGA Championship, and competed on six Ryder Cup teams before guiding the Americans to victory this year at Hazeltine National Golf Club.

‘Davis has an outstanding record not only as a player but as a gentleman,’ said Gary Player. ‘He’s been a tremendous contributor and has been an all-around man for golf. It’s terrific to see him in the World Golf Hall of Fame.’

Woosnam held top spot in the world ranking for 50 weeks during the early 90s and played on eight European Ryder Cup teams. The two-time European Tour Player of the Year won the 1991 Masters and was awarded an OBE in 2006.

‘He’s been a great contributor to golf from the European side, and I’m delighted to have him inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame,’ said Jack Nicklaus.

Ochoa is undoubtedly Mexico’s greatest-ever golfer with 27 LPGA Tour victories and two major championships. She was world number one for 158 consecutive weeks between 2007 and 2010, and goes is the first Mexican to join the World Golf Hall of Fame.

‘Lorena’s record speaks for itself. In addition to her wins on the LPGA, she also won Player of the Year numerous times. She has so many awards, which just shows how much she contributed to the game. She has reached a demographic that we didn’t see before,’ said Annika Sorenstam.

Mallon was named one of the LPGA Tour’s top 50 players and teachers after a competitive career that spanned nine Solheim Cups. She won 18 times on the LPGA Tour, including four majors, and was the Golf Writers Association of America Female Player of the Year in 1991.

‘Meg Mallon has been a great player and a great contributor. She has been involved heavily in the game of golf. Everybody likes her; everybody knows what her talent is,’ said Jack Nicklaus.

Longhurst passed away in 1978 and was honoured posthumously for his contribution to the game through media coverage. He wrote a weekly column for the London Sunday Times for 40 years and provided television coverage for the BBC for 28 years.

‘Henry Longhurst did something that no other journalist has done. He proved to be as apt, succinct, colorful, informative and compelling to listen to as he had been to read. He captivated people,’ said golf writer John Hopkins.