Pebble Beach, Calif. – The World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum will enshrine Ken Venturi as part of its Class of 2013. The 1964 U.S. Open champion and long-time television broadcaster was selected through the Lifetime Achievement Category.
Venturi will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at its Induction Ceremony on Monday, May 6, 2013, at World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Fla. The Ceremony will once again kick off THE PLAYERS Championship week.
The announcement was made at Pebble Beach Golf Links by PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem. It is a fitting place for Venturi, who grew up playing golf in Northern California and will serve as the Honoree of this week’s Frys.com Open at CordeValle in San Martin, Calif.
“Ken Venturi’s induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame is absolutely fitting, even more so because he enters under the auspices of the Lifetime Achievement Category,” Finchem said. “Ken’s career certainly epitomizes a lifetime of achievement, from his many wins on the golf course, including his courageous victory in the 1964 U.S. Open, to his captaincy of the U.S. Presidents Cup Team to his nearly four-decade-long career as the voice of CBS’ golf coverage, the longest in golf history. Congratulations to Ken on this well-deserved honor.”
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Venturi forged an iconic career in the game, both on the course and in the broadcast booth. As a player, Venturi won 14 times on the PGA TOUR. He made his most dramatic mark in the 1964 U.S. Open, where he overcame 100-degree temperatures at Congressional Country Club and severe dehydration to win his only major championship.
“Ken Venturi’s victory in the 1964 U.S. Open remains one of the greatest moments in the championship's 112-year history,” said USGA Executive Director Mike Davis. “His ability to overcome extremely difficult conditions at Congressional personifies the perseverance, determination and execution required to be a U.S. Open champion.”
Carpal tunnel syndrome forced him out of competitive golf after 13 other victories on the PGA TOUR and a Ryder Cup appearance on the winning U.S. Team in 1965.
In 1968 Venturi joined the CBS television team. It began a 35-year career that saw him become one of the most respected voices in the game. In 2000, he received the PGA of America Lifetime Achievement in Journalism Award. That same year, he captained the U.S. Team to victory in the 2000 Presidents Cup competition.
“The greatest reward in life is to be remembered, and I thank the World Golf Hall of Fame for remembering me,” Venturi said. “It’s the dream of a lifetime.”
Venturi will join Fred Couples, who was elected through the PGA TOUR Ballot, in the Class of 2013. The Hall of Fame will round out the Class, including the International Ballot, in the coming months.
“Ken is most deserving of this honor,” said Hall of Fame Chief Operating Officer Jack Peter. “His success on the course and signature style on television has endeared him to fans for decades. We look forward to showcasing his wonderful career in the Museum and welcoming him into the Hall of Fame in May.”
Tickets and travel packages to the 2013 Induction Ceremony will be available on Nov. 1, 2012. For more information on the Induction Ceremony and the World Golf Hall of Fame, visit www.WorldGolfHallofFame.org.