FOUR-TIME MAJOR winner Phil Mickelson was one of five people inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame on Monday.
Mickelson, 41, has won three Masters titles at Augusta as well as a US PGA title, and was inducted alongside Scot Sandy Lyle, English player and commentator Peter Alliss, American sportswriter Dan Jenkins and three-time US Women’s Open winner Hollis Stacy.
“I want to congratulate Dan and Peter, Sandy, Hollis for their induction this year. It’s really cool and it’s an honour for me to be in the same induction class,” Mickelson said in his induction speech.
“I think that they can attest that you can’t start fulfilling your dreams until you dream big.“You need a lot of people along the way to help you out, and we’ve all had people help us along the way.
“We’ve all had big dreams from the start. And I remember dreaming when I was a kid before I could even walk about playing the game of golf.”
Mickelson easily qualified for the Hall of Fame ballot with 48 professional wins, including his four Majors.
Lyle, 54, spent nearly three years in the top 10 rankings between 1986-89, winning a British Open and a US Masters title in that period.
American Stacy won four Majors on the LPGA Tour among 21 professional wins between 1974-2000.
Alliss is regarded by many as the ‘Voice of British golf’ for his extensive commentary work on BBC television, while Jenkins was recognised in the Lifetime Achievement Category for his work as a sportswriter, most notably with Sports Illustrated.
Mickelson has overcome many trials during his career, from form slumps to his wife Amy’s diagnosis with breast cancer in 2009, and thanked the fans and his fellow golfers for their support over his career.
“We are all in this together, this great game,” he said. “We’re all in it to promote this game, to enjoy this game and enjoy the journey and the opportunities that it brings.“I want to thank everybody for competing against me, for your friendship, for sharing this journey, for telling the stories the way the media do. For being a part of this whole journey.
“I want to thank the fans because the fans have made this such a fun ride. There have been a lot of highs and a lot of lows that we’ve shared together.
“There have been a lot of times where I’ve struggled, and it’s been their energy that’s helped pull me through. I’ve tried to reciprocate by launching drive after drive in their general direction.”
