Columnist Peter Benton: Norman just misses out on Hall ballot

Peter Benton

Wednesday, March 29, 2000 | 11:35 a.m.

Peter Benton's golf column appears Wednesday.

No new PGA Tour members have gained selection to the World Golf Hall of Fame, but Greg Norman came the closest in balloting last week.

Membership into the World Golf Hall of Fame requires a candidate to be selected on at least 75 percent of the ballots. In 1999, a voting body of 217 received PGA Tour ballots, with electors able to vote for a maximum of eight of the 40 eligible players.

The top finishers were: Greg Norman, 70.1 percent; Payne Stewart, 64.3 percent; and Ben Crenshaw, 50.9 percent.

The annual World Golf Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be conducted on Nov. 20 at the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, Fla. Inductees for 2000 include the LPGA's Beth Daniel and Juli Inkster.

The WGHF advisory board will meet later this month to develop recommendations for potential additional inductees coming from the Veterans and Lifetime Achievement categories.

* LVCC GUEST DAY: A men's guest day at the Las Vegas Country Club saw the two-man teams on holes 1-6 play best ball; on holes 7-12 Chapman, and on holes 13-18 scramble.

In the Bruins flight, Jeff Harmon and Chuck Jensen prevailed, coming in with a score of 59.6. Chuck Weigman and Dene Krametbauer followed at 60.3, while Harold Thomas-Al Castoldo were third with 63.4.

Peter Fischer and Stiles Markey won the Cyclones fight with 60.7. Second at 61.6 was the Rick Urdahl-Dick Ashworth duo, followed by Dan Ayala and Bill Paulos at 61.9.

Maury Hack and Bob Park dominated the Spartans flight. Their score of 61.3 outdistanced Lloyd Boothby and Pat Walker who came in with 65.1. Ennis Jordan and Dick Cloninger were third at 65.3.

In the Volunteers flight, Wayne Carona and Mark Hicks eked out a narrow victory, coming in with 61.1. The Mort Goldstein-Don Richards team placed second at 61.9 while in third spot with 63.9 were Gary Ashworth and Jerry Sutton.