Posted by Jason Sobel
Wednesday's announcement that Curtis Strange and Hubert Green are now members of the World Golf Hall of Fame should fuel speculation about the future prospects of some current players.
Vijay Singh is already in (players become eligible at age 40), but he'll have a few peers ready to follow him in coming years.
Here are a half-dozen players who should be locks to make the HOF:
Tiger Woods: Duh! This news also just in: The earth is round and water is wet. Has there ever been an easier HOF selection in any sport? Perhaps the only thing left to wonder about is whether they'll rename the place, "World Golf Hall of Fame, featuring Tiger Woods!"
Phil Mickelson: Say what you will about the close calls at major championships and his inability to keep pace with Tiger, but Mickelson is a Hall of Famer through and through. Besides, a precedent has been set. Singh owns 31 career PGA Tour victories and three majors; Mickelson has 30 and three. Expect it to happen in 2011, his first year of eligibility as a 40-year-old.
Ernie Els: Think about it: Els is one of those players who could be elected based solely on either his PGA Tour career or his international success. He owns 15 tour wins and 43 other worldwide victories, with three total majors. Split the dude in half and he's two HOFers living within one body.
Colin Montgomerie: No major? No problem. Yes, the lack of a major championship title will hurt Monty's bid, but think about everything else he has brought to the game. He'll be most remembered as an eight-time Ryder Cupper (and future captain; 2010 would seem most likely) who still has yet to lose a singles match (6-0-2). Coupled with eight career Order of Merit titles, including seven straight, that should be more than enough to gain entry.
Davis Love III: I know what you're thinking. The results never equaled the talent. Perhaps that is true, but as my colleagues so correctly pointed out in our weekly Fact or Fiction piece, DL3's numbers -- 19 wins, one major -- are identical to those of Tom Kite, who was elected into the HOF three years ago.
Jose Maria Olazabal: Those two green jackets are pretty influential on the résumé and he's had enough other success over the past two decades to warrant inclusion. Ollie owns six career PGA Tour wins (including the 1994 and '99 Masters) and 23 other international tournaments. Like Monty, his RC brilliance will give him an advantage, too.
And here are six more who are either borderline or still building their cases:
Retief Goosen: Replace Olazabal's Masters wins with U.S. Open titles and you've got Goose's career, which may mean he's a lock already. No worries, though, because at 38, he's still got plenty of game and could be winning titles for another 10 years.
Jim Furyk: He isn't there yet, but Furyk's certainly on the right path. With 12 PGA Tour wins and one major (the 2003 U.S. Open), you would think he's a lock with, say, five more wins and one more major, which would give him the exact same numbers as Strange. He'll turn 37 next month and is coming off the best season of his career, so expect Furyk to keep keep improving his case.
Mark O'Meara: Done playing the PGA Tour (he's now a Champions Tour regular), O'Meara has 16 career victories (including five at Pebble Beach) and two majors, both coming in 1998. And still, he may best be remembered as Tiger's sidekick. Again, a precedent has been set; players with similar credentials are already in the Hall.
Fred Couples: Big debate in the aforementioned Fact or Fiction; Ron Sirak and I think Couples will get in, while Bob Harig and John Antonini believe he'll be on the outside looking in. The numbers aren't over-the-top brilliant (15 wins, one major), but being a good guy and a fan favorite might give Freddie the edge when it's all said and done.
Corey Pavin: Of course, if Couples gets in, how can Pavin be left out? Not sure I ever would have thought of him as HOF material during his career, but the numbers are identical those of Couples, so if one gets elected, so should the other.
David Duval: What, you think I'm kidding? Let's give this a little critical analysis. The guy owns 13 career PGA Tour wins and one major. Sure, his last title came at the 2001 British Open and he's since hit rock-bottom, but if Duval gets his game together and wins just two or three more events, he'll have the sentimental vote. Considering his current form, though, you've got to wonder if that's asking too much.
