Ray Floyd disses Fred Couples’, Colin Montgomerie’s Hall of Fame credentials

Raymond Floyd is not a fan of some recent inductees to the hallowed halls of the World Golf Hall of Fame, of which the 70-year-old, four-time major winner is a member. Most specifically, Floyd, with 22 PGA Tour triumphs, seemed to target Fred Couples and Colin Montgomerie, who will enter the Hall in May, with incendiary comments about lowered standards accounting for letting just anyone into the HoF.

“Guys get voted into the Hall of Fame who don’t belong, who lack the numbers. I’m very upset at the Hall of Fame for that. It’s not fair to the people who went in early,” Floyd said in a new Golf Magazine interview that’s bound to raise eyebrows and ire.

“Just look at the inductees over the last six, eight, 10 years,” Floyd observed. “Some years, I don’t even vote because the names are not worthy of induction. One major should not get you into the Hall of Fame -- maybe one major and 40 wins. I’m not gonna pick a guy with one major and 11 wins.”

As to whether Couples or Montgomerie deserved his HoF honor, Floyd stated, “I’ll just say that you should have at least two majors. At least!

“Wow, there are guys in there that it’s a joke. It takes integrity away from the term ‘Hall of Fame.’ I’m very upset at the Hall of Fame.”

For the record, Couples owns one major trophy (1992 Masters, with, coincidentally, Floyd as runner-up) and 15 PGA Tour victories, while Monty (31 European Tour Ws) famously never finished first at the Masters, U.S. or British Open, or PGA Championship.

Floyd also offered opinions about the proposed anchored putting ban (anti: “It would not be good for golf. Golf is a game, and games are meant to be enjoyed.”) as well as Tiger Woods’ current standing as just one of the guys.

“[Woods] used to win every time he had a chance,” offered Floyd. “When you’re the best, and you know you’re the best, and your contemporaries know you’re the best, that’s a terrific edge.

“Now? They know they can beat him,” Floyd continued. “They see his fallacies. His fallacies started with infidelities, and that broke his aura. When Tiger would walk into the locker room, the seas parted; now, when he walks in, no one makes way. He’s off the pedestal. He’s just one of them.”

In the ongoing will-he-or-won’t-he (break Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 majors) debate, put Floyd in the “No” category.

“[Woods will] win another major or two,” Floyd said of the holder of 14 major titles, “but in my mind he’s never going to be the Tiger that he was.”