Leonard Leads Texas Hall's Class of 2012

The Texas Golf Hall of Fame inducted its Class of 2012 on Monday in a ceremony at San Antonio Country Club. The seven inductees are:

• Justin Leonard: University of Texas star, 12-time winner on the PGA Tour, British Open champion.
• Robert Dedman Sr.: Inducted posthumously. Founder of Club Corporation of America, better known to golfers as ClubCorp.
• Charlie Epps: Longtime Texas club pro, head pro at Redstone Golf Club; instructor to Angel Cabrera and Blaine McCallister.
• David Price: Pro at Bent Tree Country Club, Golf Professional of the Year in 1995, member PGA of America Hall of Fame, prominent rules official.
• John Grace: Texas Amateur champion, member of US Walker Cup team.
• Mina Hardin: 5-time Texas State Women's Amateur champion, Texas Women's Open winner, US Senior Women's Amateur winner.
• Sam Goldfarb Sr.: Inducted posthumoustly in Pioneer category. Chairman of San Antonio Golf Association in the 1940s and 1950s, chairman of Texas State Junior events at Brackenridge.

Also, the Hall added Champions Golf Club in Houston to the Texas Registry of Historic Golf Courses, which now includes Brackenridge Park in San Antonio, Dallas' Cedar Crest Golf Course and Brook Hollow Golf Club, and Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth.

Leonard, of course, is the headliner. He'll forever be remembered for that long putt he made to cap Team USA's historic comeback at the 1999 Ryder Cup. He's also a 3-time winner of the Texas Open, and told the San Antonio Express-News that his connection to San Antonio, and the Hall's location in the Alamo City, made the honor even more special:

"I think it's a big reason I am here," he said. "I've had a lot of success in this city. It's been a special place to me and our family and our career. The fact that it's down here just adds to all that."