Golf Hall of Fame: Rating Tiger Woods and the other candidates
By Bill Felber
The selections
For all the reasons cited above, the selection of Woods is a given. Assuming that Finchem is also selected, that leaves room for at most two former player inductees. Among the six candidates, it’s a close call whose outcome probably depends on what you value.
If you like a peak standout – a golfer’s version of Sandy Koufax – you’re a Weiskopf voter. His 37th rank all-time clearly qualifies him and it does so in a rank that appears to be important among voters. Weiskopf is probably in, although not as securely as Woods.
Since the voters are not likely to ignore the women candidates entirely, and assuming Finchem is elected, then the candidacies of Harrington and Farrell fall by the wayside. The question comes down to Maxwell Berning, Palmer, Hanson or Pepper.
If you emphasize major titles, Maxwell Berning’s four stands alone. But her peak rating is comparatively weak, and her career rating only passable.
Pepper has a stronger career rating, and that along with her two major wins probably gets her the vote.
Palmer is a plausible candidate, but she lacks the star power credential. Hanson’s three majors are impressive, but she played a long time ago, and neither her peak nor career ratings were exceptional.
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Beyond that, in the era in which she played, many women were considered her superior. Think of Mickey Wright, Betsy Rawls, Patty Berg, Louise Suggs, Kathy Whitworth, Marlene Hagge, Faye Crocker, Marilynn Smith, and Babe Zaharias. Her era is already well-represented in the Hall of Fame.