LPGA changes Hall of Fame criteria

MIRAGE RANCH.-He was already part of the Hall of Fame golf world. But now, Lorena Ochoa will be part of another venue that will recognize her illustrious career.

The Mexican will have her place in the Hall of the Fame of the LPGA, along with eight founders of that professional women’s golf circuit.

On Tuesday, the LPGA announced changes to the criteria for a female golfer to be selected, removing the requirement that players complete 10 years on Tour.

Players earn two points for each major and one point for each major win or prize. The requirements to enter the Hall of Fame are 27 points, 10 years on Tour and a major or award. Ochoa has 35 points, but he only played seven years before retiring to start a family.

The Mexican star was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2017.

The LPGA will also include the eight remaining founders — five were already on the premises — in the honorary categories. They are Alice Bauer, Bettye Danoff, Helen Dettweiler, Helen Hicks, Opal Hill, Sally Sessions, Marilyn Smith and Shirley Spork, who is still alive. The LPGA started in 1950.

Smith previously inducted into the World Hall of Fame.

The LPGA Hall of Fame committee also decided to give an Olympic gold medal point retroactive to the 2016 Games. Inbee Park, who is already a member, won at Rio de Janeiro 2016, while Nelly Korda won the summer spent in Tokyo.