PGATOUR.COM: What has the reaction been to the Hall of Fame announcement? Any particular text, call or letter stand out?
DAVIS LOVE III: I think it’s a lot like when I won my 20th and got a lifetime exemption, I didn’t really think that much before it and I didn’t really plot for it. But when you see the reaction of the players, especially the veteran players, everybody congratulates you, I’m like, wow, that is a big deal. It’s the same thing with the Hall of Fame.
It’s been amazing to see so many people say how important it is to them. Like Bubba Watson (said) at the end of the Ryder Cup: "My two biggest goals in my career are to be Ryder Cup captain and be in the Hall of Fame." It makes you sit back and go, wait a minute, I’ve kind of taken that for granted almost. And Bubba also said being Ryder Cup captain is a version of the Hall of Fame.
I think Meg Mallon had the best line at a press conference we all did on the phone (in the Hall of Fame announcement). She said, "I have to keep pinching myself," and that’s kind of the way I am.
Every once in a while, I go, I know I don’t want to take it deep and I don’t like being the center of attention, and I don’t like that, BUT I can’t believe I am in the Hall of Fame with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus and Byron Nelson and Tom Watson. It doesn’t seem right. So I am pinching myself. And it’s been nice to see the player reaction. And it’s nice when they come up to you and go hey, it’s about time. That makes you feel good.
And I’ll tell you another thing that I realized today – and I’ll hear one or the other, Hall of Fame or Ryder Cup every other fan that says something. But you know what’s amazing? People are thanking me. Fans, not players, fans are thanking me, saying thank you for bringing the Ryder Cup back. I wasn’t expecting that.
But they’re so jacked up to have the Cup, they’re thanking me. Thank the players. But the Hall of Fame on top of an incredible build-up and an incredible Ryder Cup, is quite a follow-up to that.
PGATOUR.COM: Have you ever been to the World Golf Hall of Fame (located in St. Augustine, Florida)?
LOVE: I haven’t been since it was in Pinehurst. So no, I haven’t been to the new one. I’ve been to the hotel and golf course but not in the actual Hall of Fame.
PGATOUR.COM: Well, you’re going to have to make a special trip.
LOVE: Everyone’s been asking me what I’m going to put in for my memorabilia, display items. And I said I haven’t even thought about it.
So I’m going to have to go, the next time I’m driving by there and see if I can get in for free and look at their displays and see what people actually have in there. It will be a fun project.
PGATOUR.COM: That was going to be one of my questions.
LOVE: I don’t really know how much or what. But I do have a bunch of cool stuff. I’ve accumulated so many things over the years, and I’m not a good scrap-booker or much on displaying my stuff so it will be fun to pick out some things.