[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 6234]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING LARRY NELSON

 Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, today I wish to honor in the 
Record of the Senate the induction of my friend and a wonderful 
Georgian, Larry Nelson of Marietta, to the World Golf Hall of Fame.
  Larry was born on September 10, 1947, in Ft. Payne, AL, and was 
raised in Acworth, GA. Growing up, he preferred baseball and 
basketball. It wasn't until after he returned from military service in 
Vietnam that he actually swung a golf club. The first time he played he 
broke 100. Within 9 months of taking up the game in earnest, Larry 
broke 70.
  In 1973, Larry successfully went through the PGA Tour Qualifying 
School, and his breakthrough came in 1979 when he won twice on the tour 
and finished second on the money list. In 1981, Larry won the PGA 
Championship at the Atlantic Athletic Club by four strokes over Fuzzy 
Zoeller. In 1983, he won his second major, the U.S. Open, at one of the 
toughest championship courses in the world, Oakmont Country Club just 
outside of Pittsburgh. And in 1987, Larry repeated his victory in the 
PGA Championship with a playoff victory over Lanny Wadkins at PGA 
National Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. In addition, he played on 
the U.S. Ryder Cup team in 1979, 1981, and 1987.
  I have known Larry for almost 40 years. In fact, I sold him a house 
when he was first starting out. It is also a huge point of pride that I 
am a member of the Atlanta Country Club where Larry Nelson plays today. 
However, Larry is more than a terrific golfer. He is also a wonderful 
husband and father as well as a devout Christian.
  It gives me a great deal of pleasure and it is a privilege to 
recognize on the floor of the U.S. Senate the contributions of my 
friend Larry Nelson. He is an inspiration to us all.

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