Leonard Leads 2012 Texas Golf Hall of Fame Class B
ritish Open Champion and ’99 Ryder Cup hero Justin Leonard headlined a group of esteemed individuals (and one private golf club) entering the Texas Golf Hall of Fame in late 2012. At the annual “Gathering of Eagles” held at storied San Antonio Country Club, Leonard joined rules expert (and longtime pro at Bent Tree Country Club) David Price, veteran instructor and club professional Charlie Epps, ClubCorp founder (the late) Robert Dedman, decorated amateurs John Grace and Mina Hardin and San Antonio golf organizational executive (the late) Sam Goldfarb, Sr. in the 2012 induction ceremony which also honored Houston’s Champions Golf Club. Leonard recalled his early success as a junior player and the relationship he forged with Dallas-area teaching professional Randy Smith in an emotional
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speech that also saw the 1997 British Open champion recall meeting his wife in a love-at-first-sight moment. Leonard follows Ben Hogan, Lee Trevino and Bill Rogers as past British Open winners who’ve also been inducted into the Texas Golf Hall of Fame. The banquet was hosted by Golf Channel commentator David Marr III and attended by current Texas and World Golf Hall of Fame members Lanny Wadkins and Ben Crenshaw, who accepted on behalf of Champions Golf Club and its founders, Jackie Burke and Jimmy Demaret. Crenshaw said of the famed duo and their club, “They were the best one-two punch of anybody in Texas golf. The course is a culmination of their total experience and a very special place for the game of golf.” Hardin, the 2010 USGA Senior Women's
Amateur champion, is the first Hispanic female to enter the TGHOF and Leonard is the Hall’s youngest inductee. Goldfarb and Dedman’s inductions were accepted by their sons. The formal induction banquet capped a full day of Texas Golf Hall of Fame activities which included the unveiling of inductee plaques at the TGHOF facilities at historic Brackenridge Park nearby, an inductee and friends golf tournament and the sold-out banquet which included taped welcoming speeches from outgoing PGA of America CEO Joe Steranka, USGA Executive Director Mike Davis and PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem.
More information about the Texas Golf Hall of Fame can be found at www.texasgolfhof.org.
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