Paddy - Hall of Famer?

[JB]

While out on the course, my playing partners are constantly playing a game for all sports and we affectionately call "Is he or isn't he?". The question came up the other night with GG and myself and I posed it to them at the course today. Paddy Harrington, a Hall of Famer? Out of the other 3 guys in the group, I was a little surprised that each one of them said no. Lets look at some info.

He has 3 majors
He has 25 professional wins

Outside of majors he has only 2 wins on the PGA Tour
His majors some would say came at interesting times

So the question is posed to you. Take all fanfare out of it. Take all patriotism out of it. Is Paddy Harrington a Hall of Famer?

Please give a reason as to why you are saying yes or no.

Edit: Remember, this is about his credentials as of now.

 

[claycribbs]

Defiantly........

 

[9-Iron Man]

I'd would say yes. He is known the world over and definitely can play the game.

 

[JB]

I'd would say yes. He is known the world over and definitely can play the game.

So is Sergio Garcia

 

[Kmac]

Oooh very good question. Im on the fence. The way you break down his victories it doesnt really look that impressive. Majors are majors but... still on the fece and leaning towards REJECTED.

 

[TC]

if he were to no longer play golf, i would say no, but who knows what his career will be like once he's put the clubs up. i say no b/c i just don't think that he's had a hall of fame career. the majors are huge but i think it will be viewed as a time when those majors were up for grabs. he certainly doesn't have enough wins on the pga tour. this is a tough question.

 

[Hawk]

I love Paddy, but I would have to say no at this point. He needs to prove he can win again (consistently) before he should be considered. He has really dropped off.

 

[Hanks]

no, I would think that you need to win more than 3 majors to be considered for the HOF. Unless you have a ton of wins on the PGA Tour as well which even then he doesn't have.

 

[solidkjames]

If he retired today and never played again I would say he is on the fence of No. But by the time he is ready to be inducted in the next 10 years or so he should have ample credentials to get in first ballot. He is much like Goosen and his majors. But considering guys like Lanny Wadkins are in there already I'm sure he will get voted in eventually but I don't know about first ballot.

 

[IceyShanks]

I'd say he's close but not quite there yet, but that's for his current position in history, that's not to say it won't change with time.

 

[JB]

I want to reiterate that this is a question about his credentials so far. Not what he might do, because frankly none of us really know.

 

[9-Iron Man]

So is Sergio Garcia

You got me there JB. When you look at everybody's stats, there are few players who can always post multiple victories. Look at Lee Westwood he hasn't won in over ten years, but is still #3 in the world. Paddy is currently #15. That has to mean something. You don't get up there without skill and shouldn't that be what the hall of fame should be about?

 

[Puttin4Bird]

I'm going to say yes based on the fact that (if I am correct) it's called the World Golf Hall of Fame, not the PGA Tour golf hall of fame. His professional wins speak for themselves, even if he only has a hand full of wins in PGA Tour sanctioned events.

 

[JB]

You got me there JB. When you look at everybody's stats, there are few players who can always post multiple victories. Look at Lee Westwood he hasn't won in over ten years, but is still #3 in the world. Paddy is currently #15. That has to mean something. You don't get up there without skill and shouldn't that be what the hall of fame should be about?

Im not sure. They all have skill. But it is the Hall of fame, not the Hall of really good players. I think it should be about the elite. That is what makes this such an interesting question. He had 2 years of elite, but the rest is what it is

 

[JB]

I'm going to say yes based on the fact that (if I am correct) it's called the World Golf Hall of Fame, not the PGA Tour golf hall of fame. His professional wins speak for themselves, even if he only has a hand full of wins in PGA Tour sanctioned events.

That I agree with. Let me ask you this though. If he was playing the majority of the time on the Euro Tour and did not win on the PGA I think I might have a different opinion. But he plays a TON of events on the PGA Tour. So that is why I am so on the fence with this one.

 

[Craig Mac]

I'm going to say yes based on the fact that (if I am correct) it's called the World Golf Hall of Fame, not the PGA Tour golf hall of fame. His professional wins speak for themselves, even if he only has a hand full of wins in PGA Tour sanctioned events.

My thoughts exactly

 

[interlooper]

If Larry Nelson, Ben Crenshaw and Jose Maria Olazabal made it, I don't see why Paddy hasn't done enough already.

 

[Puttin4Bird]

That I agree with. Let me ask you this though. If he was playing the majority of the time on the Euro Tour and did not win on the PGA I think I might have a different opinion. But he plays a TON of events on the PGA Tour. So that is why I am so on the fence with this one.

Yeah I can see your point, but then it becomes a debate of PGA Tour vs. Euro Tour quality of fields etc. That is a whole separate argument in my opinion. But for the sake of his professional credentials I think yes he qualifies based on the World being so prominent in the World Golf Hall of Fame.

 

[JB]

Yeah I can see your point, but then it becomes a debate of PGA Tour vs. Euro Tour quality of fields etc. That is a whole separate argument in my opinion. But for the sake of his professional credentials I think yes he qualifies based on the World being so prominent in the World Golf Hall of Fame.

So do you think the bar is set at 25 wins and 3 majors no matter what the fields are? Im not saying the Euro Tour is less quality. Not at all actually. But I do think his majors and when they were and lack of any wins since then play a role that make it a tougher debate.

 

[9-Iron Man]

I'm going to say yes based on the fact that (if I am correct) it's called the World Golf Hall of Fame, not the PGA Tour golf hall of fame. His professional wins speak for themselves, even if he only has a hand full of wins in PGA Tour sanctioned events.

That's what I was going for. Well said P4B!

 

[Puttin4Bird]

Looking at only that, 25 professional wins, 3 majors and what- at least 2 Ryder Cup victories has to put him in. Obviously European Tour wins and not someone with say Nationwide Tour wins or something, but while they don't seem to stack up it sure doesn't appear to be that way lately with European players winning majors and Ryder Cup dominance up until just 2 years ago. I really think his wins are legit, even though he's lacking PGA Tour wins and we all know that is where the best players in the world play.

 

[JB]

Looking at only that, 25 professional wins, 3 majors and what- at least 2 Ryder Cup victories has to put him in. Obviously European Tour wins and not someone with say Nationwide Tour wins or something, but while they don't seem to stack up it sure doesn't appear to be that way lately with European players winning majors and Ryder Cup dominance up until just 2 years ago. I really think his wins are legit, even though he's lacking PGA Tour wins and we all know that is where the best players in the world play.

You might be 100% right. Im still torn a little based on when his majors were won (he cannot control that) and the fact that since joining the PGA for a close to full schedule, he has yet to win since then.

 

[v3.0]

Other achievements don't even matter when you have 3 majors. Yes Harrington is a hall of famer.

 

[Puttin4Bird]

I do agree that he is not in the class of Tiger and Mickelson right now because he doesn't have more PGA Tour wins. He seems quite a ways away from Mickelson and he only has 1 less major but all those Tour wins Phil has over him really do put him in a class well ahead of Paddy. But for the sake of the HOF, yeah I think he is one.

 

[JB]

Other achievements don't even matter when you have 3 majors. Yes Harrington is a hall of famer.

Out of curiosity, what number of majors makes you auto? Is it 3? 2? 4? I have always wondered this. In many sports they have numbers that are or were technically the standard.