Corey Pavin of UCLA and Craig Stadler of USC were inducted into the Southern California Golf Association Hall of Fame before more than 250 guests at the Sheraton Universal in Universal City.
The 55-year-old Pavin, from Oxnard, and Stadler, 61, from San Diego, became the 27th and 28th members of the SCGA Hall of Fame.
Stadler, a graduate of La Jolla High, won the 1971 CIF/SCGA SoCal Regional Championship, the 1973 U.S. Amateur and played on the winning United States team in the 1975 Walker Cup before going on to win 13 times on the PGA Tour, including the 1982 Masters.
A four-year All-American at USC, he has added nine titles on the Champions Tour.
“It’s an interesting career, professional golf,” said Stadler, affectionately known as “The Walrus” because of his stocky build and bushy mustache.
“It’s a lot of work, a lot of travel and a lot of entertainment. But to be able to do something you loved as a child and do it for the rest of your life, I am so blessed and so lucky. Today is something I will always cherish and always remember and I’m honored to share this day with Corey.”
Pavin, a graduate of Oxnard High, captured the 1977 Los Angeles City Amateur, the 1977 Junior World Championship and claimed 15 victories for UCLA before playing on the victorious 1981 Walker Cup team.
After turning pro, he claimed 11 victories on the PGA Tour, including the 1995 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills and has added the 2012 Allianz Championship on the Champions Tour.
“The company we’re joining, the past inductees into the SCGA Hall of Fame, is beyond anything I can fathom,” said Pavin, who was captain of the 2010 Ryder Cup team. “When I started playing golf as a kid, I would never have thought that something like this would happen.”
Both inductees received sepia-toned paintings by Scott Medlock, one of America’s foremost artists, who has been the official artist of the SCGA Hall of Fame since its inception in 2007.
