Legendary golf club maker Bob Vokey was officially inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame on Tuesday in a ceremony held at the Glen Abbey Golf Club, home of this year’s RBC Canadian Open.
Vokey, whose name has become synonymous with excellence in craftsmanship, entered the Hall with fellow Montreal native Judy Darling Evans. Darling Evans was inducted under the player category while Vokey joined as a builder. With their inductions, the Quebec duo became the 78th and 79th honored members of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.
Born in Montreal and raised in Verdun, Que., Vokey has become one of the world’s foremost wedge designers and a trusted short game advisor to many of the game’s greatest golfers. His innovative designs have made Titleist Vokey Design wedges the most trusted brand among tour professionals worldwide and with golfers of every age and skill level. Earlier this year, his contributions to the game were honored with election into the Quebec Hall of Fame.
“I’m truly humbled by this incredible honor,” said Vokey during his acceptance speech. “This is something I would never have dreamed of as a young boy growing up in Verdun, working in my Dad’s machine shop. I’ve never forgotten where I came from, so to see my name on the same list of Canadian golf legends is overwhelming. I have always been surrounded by passionate, hardworking people who love the game as much as I do. I sincerely appreciate the opportunity Wally Uihlein (President and CEO, Acushnet Company) and Titleist gave me, and this honor is a reflection on him, as well as everybody else who has allowed me to live out my passion during all my years in golf.”
Uihlein introduced Vokey at the induction ceremony.
“Anybody who knows ‘The Voke’ can agree that our lives have been enriched by his energy, by his enthusiasm and by his passion for his craft,” said Uihlein. “For the past 20 years, one name has been synonymous with golf wedges worldwide, and that name is Bob Vokey. The golf industry has a long history of inventors, craftsmen and artists, but nowhere has a personal touch been more pronounced across any equipment category than by Bob in wedges.”
Congratulations, Bob!