Lanny Wadkins (1982) - Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame

Lanny Wadkins

Induction:
1982

Lanny Wadkins enjoyed an extremely successful amateur and professional career as a golfer, but he always remembered his beginnings with Wake Forest. Wadkins has become an ambassador for the sport of golf worldwide while remaining active at Wake Forest for the golf program and the school as a whole.

Wadkins was an excellent collegiate golfer, winning the 1968 Southern Amateur, 1969 Northeastern Amateur and the 1970 Sothern, Western and U.S. Amateur before turning professional in 1971. Wadkins had 21 PGA Tour wins including the 1977 PGA Championship. His first win came in 1972 and his last in 1992, which speaks to his longevity at the highest level. He won the PGA Player of the Year Award in 1985.

Along with individual accolades, Wadkins is one of the best Ryder Cup performers in U.S. history, playing on a record eight teams and captaining the 1995 squad. Wadkins has 30 professional wins overall, with Australian and Canadian PGA Championship wins. He has also won once on the Champions Tour in 2000. Following his golfing career, Wadkins became an announcer for CBS from 2002-2007.

Wadkins received the highest honor of being elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2009.