PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Tiger Woods was set to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame on Wednesday night as much for what he’s done for the game as for what he’s done on the golf course, which is win a record 82 career tournaments, including 15 major championships.

Woods’ remarkable legacy is as much about the current group of stars who sit atop the world rankings today as it is about the five Masters green jackets he’s won and his three U.S. Open, three British Open and four PGA Championship victories.

Yes, Woods was the most dominant player the game has ever seen, but that dominance, coupled with his skin color adding diversity to an all-too-white sport inspired the likes of Jon Rahm, who’s currently No. 1 in the world, Collin Morikawa (No. 2), Rory McIlroy (No. 6) Dustin Johnson (No. 9), Xander Schauffele (No. 8) and so many more to chase his tracks.

Name a current top player and he was either drawn to the game or at least influenced by Woods.

That’s why Woods, at age 46, was inducted Wednesday night, presented by his 14-year-old daughter, Sam, in a jarring juxtaposition of the time, place and moment in his life.

Woods’ induction ceremony took place in the newly built PGA Tour headquarters, which stand about three par-5s away from the old TPC Sawgrass clubhouse, where 12 years ago he participated in the most uncomfortable press conference of his life.

In February 2010, some three months after his famous car crash into the Isleworth fire hydrant that exposed his marital infidelity, Woods stood in front of those awful blue curtains and told the world in a wildly awkward 14-minute statement: “I know I have bitterly disappointed all of you. For all that I have done, I am so sorry.”

Woods has nothing for which to apologize about anything he’s done on the golf course. Just ask the generations of players who were impacted by him.

“Besides entertaining all of us for 20 years and doing unbelievable things, he inspired the generation of players you’re seeing today,’’ Rahm said.

“You have at the top of the world [currently] a lot of 20-some-year-olds and early 30-year-olds that grew up watching him and trying to copy him, and I think that’s why the level of the game is as high as it is right now.

“It’s a testament to what he was able to accomplish and how many people he was able to inspire.’’

Morikawa said, “He’s everything. I grew up watching him. I wanted to compete against him. You wanted to be No. 1 in the world. I just wanted to meet him.’’

Now the Morikawa, who’s won two major championships in the past three years, is beating his idol.

“When I was in high school, golf was still kind of not really considered a cool sport to play,’’ Johnson said. “You kind of were a dork if you played golf. But Tiger made it actually a cool sport to play. Everybody wanted to be like Tiger. He was a huge part of me playing golf and wanting to get out on Tour and play against him.’’

McIlroy said he “feels fortunate’’ to have gotten to know Woods.

“There is this sort of saying that you shouldn’t meet your heroes, and Tiger was my hero when I met him, and he lived up to expectations,’’ McIlroy said. “He’s been an inspiration for so many of us that are out here playing this golf tournament this week. We all that are playing here this week have to thank Tiger for where the game is and where the [PGA] Tour is.’’

Justin Thomas described what Woods has done for the game as “monumental.’’

“I don’t think I could even come close to putting it into words,’’ Thomas said. “He’s been a massive impact and influence on me.’’

Count Cantlay as influenced by Woods as Thomas.

“I think every pro out here owes a debt of gratitude to Tiger because this sport wouldn’t be where it is today without his impact,’’ Cantlay said.

“He’s created what golf is today and we’re all products of it,” Schauffele said. “He’s to thank for even this [Players Championship] purse being $20 million. Tiger Woods has a piece of that. He’s transformed golf.”

Scottie Scheffler, who’s ranked No. 5 and won last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, said he used to watch YouTube highlights of Woods in an attempt to emulate him on the golf course.

“He’s an inspiration for all of us just the way he plays golf,” Scheffler said. “It’s pretty ridiculous. His statistics and the way he plays and swings, it’s so radically different from the rest of us how we play golf and approach the game. It’s really hard to put into words what he’s done for us out here.

“He’s totally changed our lives.’’

Woods’ life changed a little bit Wednesday night with his deserved induction.