Daily Herald's Ziehm among 6 in Illinois Golf Hall of Fame Class of 2019
The Illinois Golf Hall of Fame Thursday elected six people to its Class of 2019 including Emil Esposito, an Illinois PGA Professional and ambassador of the game for more than 50 years; Carol Mann, a 38-time winner on the LPGA Tour and former LPGA president; and Len Ziehm, golf columnist for The Daily Herald.
"We have the largest class since 1997, and one of the strongest Hall of Fame classes of all, with representatives from many aspects of the game," said Selection Committee chair Tim Cronin. "And, it's good to see the committee vote in some of the game's leaders from the early years in Illinois golf."
The following were elected for induction:
• Emil Esposito - PGA Professional, parlayed a fine amateur record into a 50-year-plus career as a golf professional. He won the Illinois Open in 1966 and 1974, and collected a memorable win in the 1979 Illinois PGA Championship at Kemper Lakes, which led to a three-decade career with the KemperSports organization.
• William Langford - A leading golf architect long after his playing days, the Chicago native was co-creator with partner Theodore Moreau of several distinguished courses, including Lawsonia Links in Wisconsin, Wakonda in Iowa, Butterfield Country Club in Oak Brook and Kankakee Elks.
• Carol Mann - Educated in golf at Olympia Fields Country Club, Mann won 38 LPGA Tour tournaments, including a pair of majors, the 1964 Women's Western Open and the 1965 U.S. Women's Open. Mann was president of the LPGA when it hired its first commissioner and was the first woman to be a regular TV commentator, notably at NBC.
• Francis Peabody - A philanthropist who built his fortune in coal and found his escape in golf, Peabody convinced the leaders at Chicago's private clubs to unite to organize tournaments and for the welfare of caddies, prompting the formation of the Chicago District Golf Association in 1914.
• Harry Radix - He created the pro tour original ranking system in 1934 and donated the trophy for the circuit's player of the year. Eventually supplanted by the Vardon Trophy, Radix remained close to the game, and the Radix Cup Match was created to honor him. One of the few to get close to Ben Hogan, Radix was a supporter of golf locally and nationally.
• Len Ziehm - He has reported on the exploits of others in golf since 1968, spending the bulk of his career at the Chicago Sun-Times and continues to report for The Daily Herald, Illinois Golfer, Chicagoland Golf and his own website.
The induction ceremony is Oct. 18 at The Glen Club in Glenview.