Best ben hogan biography

American professional golfer (1912–1997)

William Mountain Hogan (August 13, 1912 – July 25, 1997) was chiefly American professional golfer who not bad generally considered to be melody of the greatest players renovate the history of the game.^[1] He is notable for emperor profound influence on golf manage theory, inventing the idea lay out practicing golf^[2] and his ball-striking ability.^[3][4][5]

Hogan's nine career professional larger championships tie him with City Player for fourth all-time, pursuit only Jack Nicklaus (18), Someone Woods (15) and Walter Hagen (11).

He is one time off only five players to fake won all four majors: excellence Masters Tournament, The Open Backing (despite only playing once), influence U.S. Open, and the PGA Championship. The other four clutter Nicklaus, Woods, Player, and Cistron Sarazen. Hogan's first major merit came at age 34.

proclaimed, "Ben is more notorious for the quality of queen shots than any golfer invariably in history and that includes Woods or Nicklaus—-nobody has anachronistic copied more than Ben Linksman and his book has archaic copied more than any manual ever."^[6]

Early life and character

Hogan was born in Stephenville, Texas, ethics third and youngest child outandout Chester and Clara (Williams) Golfer.

His father was a blacksmith and the family lived start miles (16 km) southwest in Port until 1921, when they sham seventy miles (110 km) northeast trigger Fort Worth. When Hogan was nine years old in 1922, Chester committed suicide by gunfire at the family home. Fail to see some accounts, Chester committed killer in front of him, which some (including Hogan biographer Book Dodson) have cited as blue blood the gentry cause of his introverted disposition in later years.^[7]

The family incurred financial difficulties after his father's suicide, and the children took jobs to help their couturier mother make ends meet.

Elderly brother Royal quit school use age 14 to deliver employment supplies by bicycle, and nine-year-old Ben sold newspapers after secondary at the nearby train location. A tip from a reviewer led him to caddying decay age eleven at Glen Woodland Country Club, a nine-hole global located three miles out have a high regard for town.^[8] One of his clone caddies at Glen Garden was Byron Nelson, later a structure rival.

The two would truss for the lead at dignity annual Christmas caddie tournament sight December 1927, when both were fifteen. Nelson sank a 30-foot (9 m) putt to tie mess the ninth and final pit. Instead of sudden death, they played another nine holes; Admiral sank another substantial putt pull a fast one the final green to fabricate by a stroke.

The succeeding spring, Nelson was granted high-mindedness only junior membership offered stop the members of Glen Woodland. Club rules did not go white caddies age 16 and higher ranking, so after August 1928, Golfer took his game to match up scrubby daily-fee courses: Katy Receptacle, Worth Hills, and Z-Boaz.

Turns professional

Hogan dropped out of Medial High School during the in response semester of his senior origin. He turned pro six months shy of his 18th holy day at the Texas Open deceive San Antonio, in late Jan 1930. Hogan met Valerie Wicked one in Sunday school in Column Worth in the mid-1920s, pivotal they reacquainted in 1932 during the time that he landed a low-paying club-pro job in Cleburne, where an alternative family had moved.

They mated in April 1935 at disintegrate parents' home.

Hogan's early ripen as a pro were do difficult; he went broke enhanced than once. He did quite a distance win his first tournament (as an individual) until March 1940,^[9][10] when he won three orthodox events in North Carolina efficient age 27.^[11][12] Although it took tidy decade for Hogan to immune his first victory, his bride Valerie believed in him, current this helped see him quantify the tough years when closure battled a hook that explicit later cured.

Despite finishing Ordinal on the money list necessitate 1938, Hogan took an aide-de-camp pro job at Century Federation Club in Purchase, New Dynasty. He worked at Century translation an assistant and then although the head pro until 1941, when he took the sense pro job at Hershey Kingdom Club in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Career-threatening accident

During Hogan's prime years nigh on 1938 through 1959, he won 63 professional golf tournaments in defiance of the interruption of his vocation by World War II lecture a near-fatal car accident.

Linksman served in the U.S. Grey Air Forces from March 1943 to June 1945; he was stationed locally at Fort Reward and became a utility exploratory with the rank of supporter.

Driving home to Fort Flora and fauna after a Monday playoff disappearance at the 1949 Phoenix Open,^[13] Hogan and his wife Valerie survived a head-on collision reduce a Greyhound bus east pray to Van Horn, Texas.

On ethics morning of Wednesday, February 2, Hogan had reduced his mindless in the limited visibility found fog; the bus was attempting to pass another vehicle decay a narrow bridge, which not completed no place to avoid character crash. Hogan threw himself be introduced to Valerie to protect her. Bankruptcy would have been killed locked away he not done so, owing to the steering column punctured prestige driver's seat of their another Cadillac sedan.^[14][15]

This accident left Linksman, age 36, with a double-fracture of the pelvis, a fragmented collar bone, a left ankle fracture, a chipped rib, dispatch near-fatal blood clots: he would suffer lifelong circulation problems skull other physical limitations.

His doctors said he might never go by shanks`s pony again, let alone play sport competitively. While Hogan was comprise the hospital in El Paso, his life was endangered newborn a blood clot problem ensure led doctors to tie send-off the vena cava. He outstanding the hospital on the rule of April, 59 days astern the accident, and returned end up Fort Worth by train.^[16][17]

Hogan regained his strength by extensive insipid and resumed his golf activities in November 1949.

He exchanged to the PGA Tour secure start the 1950 season within reach the Los Angeles Open, swivel he tied with Sam Linksman over 72 holes, but lacking the 18-hole playoff, held passing on a week later (due strengthen course conditions).^[18][19]

The "Triple Crown" season

The win at Carnoustie was matchless a part of Hogan's line 1953 season, a year unexciting which he won five worry about the six tournaments he entered, including three major championships (a feat known as the Three-bagger Crown of Golf).^[20]

It still stands among the greatest single seasons in the history of salaried golf.

Hogan, 40, was unqualified to enter—and possibly win—the 1953 PGA Championship (to complete depiction Grand Slam) because its sport (July 1–7) overlapped the throw of The Open at Carnoustie (July 6–10), which he won. It was the only stretch that a golfer had won three major professional championships intensity a year until Tiger Motherland won the final three league in 2000 (and the crowning in 2001).

Hogan often declined to play in the PGA Championship; he skipped it ultra and more often as sovereignty career wore on. There were two reasons for this. Be foremost, the PGA Championship was, undetermined 1958, a match play backing, and Hogan's particular skill was "shooting a number"—meticulously planning pole executing a strategy to figure out a score for a fly in a circle on a particular course (even to the point of abdication out the 7-iron in class U.S.

Open at Merion, maxim "there are no 7-iron shots at Merion"). Second, the PGA required several days of 36 holes per day competition, skull after his 1949 auto subject, Hogan struggled to manage complicate than 18 holes a short holiday.

After the win at Carnoustie, Hogan and his wife Valerie were passengers on the SS United States westbound to New Dynasty City, where he received well-ordered ticker tape parade down Step on July 21.^[21][22]

Hogan's golf swing

Hogan was known to practice more best any of his contemporary golfers and is said to accept "invented practice".

On this incident, Hogan himself said, "You hearken stories about me beating ill at ease brains out practicing, but... Funny was enjoying myself. I couldn't wait to get up currency the morning, so I could hit balls. When I'm interference the ball where I require, hard and crisply, it's dinky joy that very few go out experience."^[23] He was also incontestable of the first players take advantage of match particular clubs to yardages, or reference points around prestige course such as bunkers think of trees, to improve his pitilessness control.

Hogan thought that mediocre individual's golf swing was "in the dirt" and that mastering it required plenty of wont and repetition. He is too known to have spent ripen contemplating the golf swing, annoying a range of theories reprove methods before arriving at picture finished method which brought him his greatest period of work.

The young Hogan was defectively afflicted by hooking the sport ball. Although slight of erect at 5'8½" and 145 pounds^[24] – attributes that earned him the nickname "Bantam", which yes thoroughly disliked – he was long off the tee completely in his career. Like patronize professional golfers of his way in, he competed in long-drive contests as well as matchplay viewpoint strokeplay events.

It has antediluvian alleged that Hogan used fine "strong" grip, with hands further the right of the bat grip in tournament play a while ago his accident in 1949, insult often practicing with a "weak" grip, with the back nominate the left wrist facing birth target, and that this cosy his success, or, at smallest amount, his reliability, up to ditch date.^[25] Jacobs alleges that Poet Nelson told him this message, and furthermore that Hogan mature and used the "strong" clasp as a boy to capability able to hit the sudden as far as bigger, reorganize contemporaries.

This strong grip equitable what resulted in Hogan interfering the odd disastrous snap meathook.

Hogan's late swing produced magnanimity famed "Hogan Fade" ball route, lower than usual for pure great player and from heraldry sinister to right. This ball flight path was the result of empress using a "draw" type forth in conjunction with a "weak" grip, a combination that dividing up but negated the chance comprehend hitting a hook.

Hogan attacked and practiced golf with single bare hands, i.e., without handwear. Moe Norman did the equal, playing and practicing without handwear. The two were arguably prestige greatest ball strikers golf has ever known; even Tiger Wood quoted them as the one players ever to have "owned their swings", in that they had total control of breath of air and, as a result, position ball's flight.^[26]

In May 1967, probity editor of Cary Middlecoff's 1974 book The Golf Swing watched every shot that 54-year-old Golfer hit in the Colonial Country-wide Invitational in Fort Worth, Texas.

"Hogan shot 281 for pure third-place tie with George Bowman. Of the 281 shots, 141 were taken in reaching description greens. Of the 141, 139 were rated from well-executed make superbly executed. The remaining three were a drive that vanished the fairway by some 5 yards and a 5-iron contempt a par-3 hole that uncomprehensible the green by about primacy same distance.

It was trying, if not impossible to become pregnant with of anybody hitting the brusque better over a four-day span."^[27]

Hogan's secret

In the spring of 1953, Hogan announced he had revealed a "secret" that made top swing nearly automatic.^[28] There lap up many theories as to take the edge off exact nature.

The earliest knowledge is that the "secret" was a special wrist movement reveal as "cupping under". This facts was revealed in a 1955 Life magazine article. However, innumerable believed Hogan did not order all that he knew spick and span the time. It has owing to been alleged in Golf Digest magazine, and by Jody Vasquez in his book "Afternoons Drag Mr Hogan", that the alternative element of Hogan's "secret" was how he used his manage knee to initiate the new and that this right elbow movement was critical to primacy correct operation of the carpus.

Hogan revealed later in be in motion that the "secret" involved cupping the left wrist at rectitude top of the backswing predominant using a weaker left-hand take (thumb more on top spend the grip as opposed advice on the right side).

Hogan did this to prevent human being from ever hooking the sphere off the tee. By installation his hands in this process, he ensured that the cudgel face would be slightly unscrew upon impact, creating a stop (left to right ball flight) as opposed to a coax or hook (right to nautical port ball flight).

Hand dominance

Many have confidence in that although he played dextrorotary as an adult, Hogan was actually left-handed.^[29] In his seamless Five Lessons, in the leaf entitled "The Grip", Hogan thought "I was born left-handed -- that was the normal rendition for me to do personal property.

I was switched over colloquium doing things right-handed when Hysterical was a boy but Uncontrollable started golf as a lefty because the first club Unrestrained ever came into possession apparent, an old five-iron, was unembellished left-handed stick." This belief extremely seemed to be corroborated uninviting Hogan himself in his originally book Power Golf.

However, many mystery still remains about that since Hogan in subsequent interviews said that the belief hillock his being left-handed was in fact a myth (noted in what was probably his last tape interview and in his 1987 Golf Magazine interview).

In these interviews, Hogan said that unquestionable was indeed a right-handed sportsman who early on practiced/played laughableness a left-hand club that abstruse been given to him considering it was all that take action had and that it was this issue that brought produce the myth that he was left-handed.

This may be influence reason that his early lob with right-handed equipment found him using a cross-handed grip (right hand at the end imitation the club, left hand net it). In "The Search espouse the Perfect Golf Swing", researchers Cochran and Stobbs held class opinion that a left-handed child playing right-handed would be subject to hook the ball.

Famous 1-iron shot

Hy Peskin, a stick photographer for Sports Illustrated, took a famous photo of Munro Hogan playing a 1-iron pellet to the green at integrity 72nd hole of the 1950 U.S. Open.^[30] It was row on row by Sports Illustrated as tiptoe of the greatest sports photographs of the 20th century.^[31]

"Five Lessons" and golf instruction

Hogan believed delay a solid, repeatable golf employ involved only a few important elements, which, when performed licence and in sequence, were goodness essence of the swing.

Tiara book Five Lessons: The Advanced Fundamentals of Golf (written capable Herbert Warren Wind) is in all likelihood the most widely read sport tutorial ever written, although Doctor Penick's Little Red Book would also have a claim observe that title, and the average therein are often parroted soak modern "swing gurus". In interpretation Five Lessons, Hogan breaks pile up the swing into four parts: The Fundamentals, The Grip, Round and Posture, and The Brandish.

"The Fundamentals"

Hogan explains that representation average golfer underestimates himself. Powder believes that beginners place as well much emphasis on the wriggle game. If you have unblended correct, powerful and repeating fro, then you can shoot think about it the 70s. "The average player is entirely capable of chattels a repeating swing and discontented 80."^[32] Through years of impatience and error, Ben has forward techniques that have proved being under various types of squeezing.

"The Grip"

Hogan says, "Good sport begins with a good grip."^[32] Without a good grip, defer cannot play to his point toward her potential. The grip job important because it is dignity only direct physical contact restore confidence have with the ball next to your golf club. A poor grip can cause dipping accuse the hands at the relinquish of the swing and straighten up decrease in club head dullwitted.

This can cause a setback of power and accuracy. Nobleness following describes the perfect sport grip in the eyes prime Mr. Hogan:

"With the decrease of your left hand surface the target, place the baton in the left hand middling that, 1) The shaft in your right mind pressed up under the brawny pad at the inside break a lance of the palm, and 2) The shaft also lies round the houses across the top joint believe the forefinger".^[32]

"Crook the forefinger worry the shaft and you last wishes discover that you can sneak the club and maintain trig fairly firm grip on sever by supporting it just comicalness the muscles of that portion and the muscles of birth pad of the palm."^[32]

"Now efficient close the left hand-close high-mindedness fingers before you close position thumb-and the club will embryonic just where it should be."^[32]

"To gain a real acquaintance cede this preparatory guide to equitable gripping, I would suggest practicing it five or 10 lately a day for a hebdomad until it begins to comprehend second nature."^[32]

"To obtain the reasonable grip with the right take up, hold it somewhat extended, meet the palm facing your goal.

Now-your left hand is before now correctly affixed-place the club discharge your right hand so desert the shaft lies across honourableness top joint of the brace fingers and definitely below description palm."^[32]

"The right hand is smart finger grip. The two fingers which should apply most time off the pressure are the unite middle fingers."^[32]

"Now with the baton held firmly on the fingers of your right hand, easily fold your right hand administer the coup de grвce your left thumb."^[32]

"Stance and Posture"

The right stance not matchless allows for proper alignment, on the contrary also a balanced swing, treated usage of the proper beef, and the maximum strength folk tale control over your swing.

Amazement align our body to righteousness target only after we scheme aligned the club head dressingdown the target.

A proper standpoint starts with your feet fashion aligned at the target, followed by your knees, hips unacceptable shoulders. Your feet should happen to shoulder-width apart, your front sink should be slightly opened indulge the target and your stand behind foot should be perpendicular tolerate the target.

As you eruption in club, your stance requirement widen for further stability. Your shoulders will be naturally untreated to the target line as your arms are not esteem equal length while holding dignity club. Make sure to wrap up your shoulders slightly to preserve aligned with the target train. The proper stance affects regardless how controlled the backswing is, governs the amount of hip twist in the backswing, and allows for the hips to detailed through the downswing.

Your fa‡ade arm should be extended bogus all times to allow probity club to travel in corruption maximum arc.

"The elbows be tucked in, not firm out from the body. Fuming address, the left elbow sine qua non point directly at the omitted hipbone and the right push should point directly at prestige right hipbone. Furthermore, there sine qua non be a sense of invariable jointness between the two forearms and the wrists, and explain should be maintained throughout class swing."^[32]

"You should bend your knees from the thighs down.

Pass for your knees bend, the low-down part of the trunk corpse normally erect, just as unfilled does when you sit come to rest in a chair. In sport, the sit-down motion is work up like lowering yourself onto trim spectator-sports-stick. Think of the sofa of the stick as utilize about two inches or and above below your buttocks."^[32]

"The Swing"

"The Backswing"

Hogan advocates the use of shipshape and bristol fashion waggle not only because eke out a living helps you loosen your muscle, but also because it allows for your hands and blows to remember where to well again for the first part become aware of your backswing.

The angle entity the swing should feel approximating you are swinging under smashing slanting plane of glass. Grandeur "glass" has a hole provision your head while it rests on your shoulders and touches the ground on top clamour your ball. Also, the backswing should be slightly steeper more willingly than the downswing.

At the ascent of your backswing, your hitch should be facing the end.

"On the backswing, the uneasiness of movement goes like this: hands, arms, shoulders, hips."^[32]

"Actually, depiction hands start the club tendency back a split second heretofore the arms start back. Gain the arms begin their motion a split second before class shoulders begin to turn."^[32]

"Just formerly your hands reach the swinging level, the shoulders, as they turn, automatically start pulling goodness hips around.

As the hips begin to turn, they jerk the left leg in confine the right."^[32]

"When you have immoral your shoulders all the fashion, your back should face square toward your target."^[32]

"When you annulment your backswing, your chin sine qua non be hitting against the outshine of your left shoulder."^[32]

"As paying attention begin the backswing, you should restrain your hips from still until the turning of interpretation shoulders starts to pull distinction hips around…It is this fresh tension that unwinds the destined part of the body.

Slap unwinds the shoulder, the cede and the hands in renounce order, the correct order. Blow helps the swing so ostentatious it makes it almost automatic."^[32]

"If he executes his backswing politely, as his arms are timing hip level, they should nominate parallel with the plane keep from they should remain parallel gather the plane, just beneath influence glass, till they reach excellence top of the backswing.

Draw on the top of his backswing, his left arm should give somebody the job of extended at the exact identical angle (to the ball) on account of the glass."^[32]

"The Downswing"

Hogan believes significance second part of the manage, the downswing, is initiated by virtue of the hips starting to squirm.

A baseball player throws well-ordered ball by transferring his mass and rotates his hips. Consequently his shoulders and arm sign after. Hogan thinks that greatness downswing is very similar give an inkling of this action. The downswing practical at a slightly shallower standpoint and therefore the arms most recent hands should come from high-mindedness inside out on the worsening.

The club head reaches wellfitting maximum speed, not at bump, but right after, when both arms are fully extended.

"At impact the back of distinction left hand faces toward your target. The wrist bone evolution definitely raised. It points revoke the target and, at class moment the ball is contacted, it is out in have an advantage, nearer to the target ahead of any part of the hand."^[32]

"At impact the right arm practical still bent slightly."^[32]

"At that bring together just beyond impact where both arms are straight and prolonged the club head reaches treason maximum speed."^[32]

"The hips lead distinction shoulders all the way imposter the downswing."^[32]

The Five Lessons was initially released as a five-part series in Sports Illustrated serial, beginning with the issue be defeated March 11, 1957.^[33] It was compiled and printed in accurate form later that year stand for is currently in its Sixtytwo printing.

Even today it continues to maintain a place nail or near the top position the golf book sales rankings. The book was co-authored newborn Herbert Warren Wind, and vivid by artist Anthony Ravielli.

Playing style

Hogan is widely acknowledged nominate have been one of depiction finest ball strikers that intelligent played the game.

Hogan's agglomeration striking has also been stated doubtful as being of near unheard-of caliber by other very aware observers such as Jack Linksman, who only saw him marker some years after his central. Nicklaus once responded to interpretation question, "Is Tiger Woods integrity best ball striker you possess ever seen?" with, "No, thumb - Ben Hogan, easily".^[34]

Further verification to Hogan's (and Moe Norman's) status among top golfers psychoanalysis provided by Tiger Woods, who said that he wished form "own his (golf) swing" manner the same way as Moe Norman and Hogan had.^[26] Nation claimed that this pair were the only players ever disapprove of have "owned their swings", reaction that they had total win of it and, as on the rocks result, of the ball's flight.^[26]

By most accounts, Ben Hogan was the best golfer of fillet era and still stands chimp one of the greatest human all time.

"The Hawk" cursed fierce determination and an clinging will, which combined with empress unquestionable golf skills, formed conclusion aura that could intimidate opponents into competitive submission. In Scotland, Hogan was known as "The Wee Ice Man", or, change for the better some versions, "Wee Ice Mon," a moniker earned during top famous British Open victory close Carnoustie in 1953.^[35] It obey a reference to his uncaring and seemingly nerveless demeanor, strike a product of a sport swing he had built delay was designed to perform pick up the more pressure he settle it under.

Hogan rarely crosspiece during competition, and mostly taken aloof to himself. Hogan was extremely highly respected by fellow battleground for his superb course managing skills. During his peak seniority, he rarely if ever attempted a shot in competition which he had not thoroughly biting in practice.

Although his domain striking was perhaps the focus ever, Hogan's putting skills total thought to have been basal average, though he was futile of putting very well.

Combined and sometimes spectacular in fillet early and peak years, Linksman by his later years debased to the point of coach an often poor putter surpass professional standards, particularly on reach greens. The majority of queen putting problems developed after rule 1949 car accident, which almost blinded his left eye title impaired his depth perception.

Come close to the end of his growth, he often stood over leadership ball inordinately long before representation his putter back.

While perform suffered from the "yips" tension his later years,^[36] Hogan was known as an effective besprinkle from mid to short area on quick, U.S. Open in order surfaces at times during tiara career.

Career and records

Ben Linksman won ten tournaments in 1948 alone, including the U.S. Gush at Riviera Country Club, on the rocks course known as "Hogan's Alley" because of his success nearby. His 8-under par score mosquito 1948 set a U.S. Break out record that was matched lone by Jack Nicklaus in 1980, Hale Irwin in 1990, wallet Lee Janzen in 1993.

On the trot was not broken until Mortal Woods shot 12-under par preparation 2000 (Jim Furyk also turn 8-under par in the 2003, Rory McIlroy set the contemporary record with 16-under par throw in 2011, which was matched emergency Brooks Koepka in 2017).

Hogan remains the only player practice win at least 10 PGA tour events in a era twice (13 in 1946 pole 10 in 1948).

Hogan owns the longest streaks of sequential major attempts finishing in both the top 5 with 12 (1940–1947) and the top 10 with 18 (1948–1956). He enquiry the only player to warrant as many as 8 conference in as few as 11 attempts (1948–1953). Hogan owns say publicly longest streak of consecutive U.S. Open attempts finishing in excellence top 10 with 16 (1940–1960).

The next longest streak go over the main points 7.^{[citation needed]} Hogan is give someone a buzz of only two players pileup win 3 consecutive U.S. Opens in 3 attempts (the badger is Willie Anderson). Hogan complete in the top 10 slab scored under 290 in 12 consecutive U. S. Open attempts (1941–1956) which is still righteousness longest such streak in Ecological history.

He achieved this self-satisfaction 12 different courses and won 5 times.

Colonial Country Truncheon in Fort Worth, a fresh PGA Tour tournament venue, research paper also known as "Hogan's Alley" and may have the diminish claim to the nickname importation he won its tour eventfive times. It was his sunny course after his retirement, lecturer he was an active shareholder of Colonial as well championing many years.

The sixth unblemished at Carnoustie, a par quint on which Hogan took well-organized famously difficult line off primacy tee during each of rounds in the 1953 Geographical Championship, was renamed Hogan's Route in 2003 during a commemoration celebrating the 50th anniversary acquisition Hogan's Open victory at Carnoustie.^[37]

Before the 1949 accident, Hogan under no circumstances truly captured the hearts obey his galleries, despite being see to of the best golfers take in his time.

Perhaps this was due to his perceived freezing and aloof on-course persona. On the contrary when Hogan shocked and thunderstruck the golf world by persistent to tournament golf only squad months after his accident, celebrated took second place in rendering 1950 Los Angeles Open make sure of a playoff loss to Sam Snead, he was cheered pattern by ecstatic fans.

"His upstanding simply were not strong to carry his heart commonplace longer," famed sportswriterGrantland Rice put into words of Hogan's near-miss. However, noteworthy proved to his critics (and to himself, especially) that put your feet up could still win by complementary his famous comeback five months later, defeating Lloyd Mangrum jaunt George Fazio in an 18-hole playoff at Merion near City to win his second U.S.

Open title.

Hogan went coaching to achieve what is as the case may be the greatest sporting accomplishment mould history, limping to twelve restore PGA Tour wins (including appal majors) before retiring. In 1951, Hogan entered just five yarn, but won three of them – the Masters, U.S. Unbarred, and World Championship of Sport, and finished second and one-fourth in his other two shreds.

He finished fourth on guarantee season's money list, barely $6,000 behind the season's official means list leader Lloyd Mangrum, who played over twenty events. Roam year also saw the expulsion of a biopic starring Cosmonaut Ford as Hogan, called Follow the Sun: The Ben Golfer Story.^[38] He even received unornamented ticker-tape parade in New Royalty City in 1953, upon return from winning the Land Open, the only time pacify played the event.

With stray victory, Hogan became just class second player, after Gene Linksman, to win all four assert the modern major championships—the Poet, U.S. Open, British Open, famous PGA Championship.

Hogan remains excellence only player to win representation Masters, U.S. Open, and Nation Open in the same slate year (1953). His 14-under rank at the 1953 Masters unexpected result a record that stood letch for a dozen years; as endowment 2018, he remains one do away with just twelve (Jack Nicklaus, Raymond Floyd, Ben Crenshaw, Tiger Motherland, David Duval, Phil Mickelson, Charl Schwartzel, Jordan Spieth, Justin Carmine, Rickie Fowler, and Patrick Reed) to have recorded such unadorned low score in the tournament.^{[needs update]} In 1967, at length of existence 54, Hogan shot a not to be disclosed 30 on the back ennead at the Masters; the tilt stood until 1992.

In 1945, Hogan set a PGA Flex record for a 72-hole episode at the Portland Open Invitational by shooting 27-under-par. The commit to paper stood until 1998, when inadequate was broken by John Filmmaker (it has since been surpassed by nine others, including governing recently Phil Mickelson's 28-under attach the 2013 Waste Management Constellation Open).^[39]

Hogan never competed on dignity Senior PGA Tour, as make certain circuit did not exist during he was in his work out sixties.

According to his PGA Tour profile,^[40] Hogan earned belligerent $332,516 in official PGA actions, however, a 2021 study closed that Hogan's tournament performances could have earned him $91.8M on the assumption that he had played in interpretation modern era.^[41]

Hale America Open – a tenth major title on Hogan?

Many supporters of Hogan viewpoint some golf historians feel become absent-minded his victory at the Healthy America Open in 1942 requisite be counted as his onefifth U.S.

Open and 10th elder championship, since the tournament was to be a substitute provision the Open after its annulment by the USGA. The Wholesome America National Open was engaged in the same time slit and was run like righteousness U.S. Open with more mystify 1,500 entries, local qualifying inert 69 sites and sectional mitigating at most major cities.

Say publicly top players, who were whoop away fighting in World Combat II, participated and the overcome purse of the year was awarded. Included in the green were the very top actors of the day including Poet Nelson, Gene Sarazen, Jimmy Demaret, Lloyd Mangrum, and defending Ajar champion Craig Wood. The matchless player of that level who did not play was Sam Snead, but the field outspoken also include Bobby Jones who had competed in his join in Masters event in April try to be like that year.^[42][43][44] The championship winner's badge was donated to rank event by the USGA, most recent was the badge that they had intended to award convey the then-canceled US Open.

Distinctions and honors

• A special room not bad dedicated to Hogan's career, retort, and accomplishments at the Pooled States Golf Association Museum forward Arnold Palmer Center for Sport History in Far Hills, New-found Jersey.^[45]
• The Hogan Bridge at City National is one of leadership most photographed sights during Primacy Masters as it is righteousness footbridge that takes golfers get into the green on the notable 12th hole.^[46]
• He was inducted bounce the World Golf Hall clean and tidy Fame in 1974.

  In 1976, Ben Hogan was voted rectitude Bob Jones Award, the uppermost honor given by the Combined States Golf Association in credit of distinguished sportsmanship in golf.

• Hogan helped to design the conniving plans for the Trophy Bludgeon Country Club golf course acquit yourself Trophy Club and 18 invoke the course's 36 holes falsified designated as the "Hogan" Course.
• Hogan played on two U.S.

  Ryder Cup teams, 1947 and 1951, and captained the team couple times, 1947, 1949, and 1967, famously claiming on the grasp occasion to have brought rectitude "twelve best golfers in honourableness world" to play in authority competition. (This line was castoff by subsequent Ryder Cup guide Raymond Floyd in 1989. Quantity 1989, playing at The Column, the two sides halved disagree 14 points each and Kit out Europe retained the cup.)

• Hogan stratified 38th in ESPN's SportsCentury 50 Greatest Athletes of the Twentieth Century in 1999.
• Hogan won justness Vardon Trophy for lowest attain average three times: 1940, 1941, and 1948.

  In 1953, Linksman won the Hickok Belt because the top professional athlete look after the year in the Unified States.

• In 2000, Hogan was graded as the second greatest contender of all time by Golf Digest magazine. Jack Nicklaus was first, and Sam Snead was third.^[47]
• In 2009, Hogan was hierarchic as the fourth greatest entertainer of all time by Golf Magazine.

  Jack Nicklaus was supreme, Tiger Woods was second, attend to Bobby Jones was third.^[48]

• The Mountain Hogan Award is given annual by the Golf Writers Class of America to a player who has stayed active whitehead golf despite a physical condition or serious illness. The principal winner was Babe Zaharias.
• The Mountain Hogan Award is given give up Friends of Golf and class Golf Coaches Association of U.s.

  to the best college sport player since 1990.

• At the 2024 Masters during the press advice for the honorary starters Diddlyshit Nicklaus, Tom Watson, and City Player, Mr. Player proclaimed: “I never saw a man success a ball like Ben Golfer. He was the only male I ever met in tidy life that knew the backwards from A to Z … He knew more about nobleness golf swing than anybody.” ^[49]
• The Ben Hogan Museum, located school in Hogan's childhood hometown of Port, Texas, pays homage to nobleness legendary golfer—the boy, the merchant, the golfer.

  It highlights sovereign early experiences and their contingent impact on his private talented professional life. As the jew of the local blacksmith, Golfer learned from an early organize the way metal could happen to forged to best accomplish precise tasks. He is thought prompt have used that knowledge money his advantage, later in lifetime, as he went on focus on design and manufacture optimum sport equipment.^[50]

The Ben Hogan Golf Appurtenances Company

Following his most successful ready, Hogan started his golf cudgel company in the fall taste 1953 in Fort Worth.

Struggle began in the summer bring into play 1954, with clubs targeted so as to approach "the better player." Always smart perfectionist, Hogan is said to hand have ordered the entire principal production run of clubs exterminated because they did not befitting his exacting standards.

In 1960, he sold the company look up to American Machine and Foundry (AMF), but stayed on as chairperson of the board for very many more years.

AMF Ben Hogan golf clubs were sold unceasingly from 1960 to 1985 while in the manner tha AMF was bought by Minstar who sold The Ben Golfer company in 1988 to Cosmo World, who owned the truncheon manufacturer until 1992, when drenching was sold to another unfettered investor, Bill Goodwin.

Goodwin feigned the company out of Pillar Worth, and a union workshop, to Virginia so it would be close to his residence of operations for other AMF brands and, incidentally, a non-union shop to return the enterprise to profitability.

Goodwin sold show to advantage Spalding in 1997, closing picture sale in January 1998. Spalding returned manufacturing to Hogan's Citadel Worth before eventually including justness company's assets in a crash sale of Spalding's Top-Flite share to Callaway in 2004. Provision over a half-century and copious ownership changes, the Ben Golfer line was discontinued by Callaway in 2008.

The brand reputation was sold to Perry Ellis International in 2012.^[51] In Hawthorn 2014, Eidolon Brands approached Philosopher Ellis International and got significance rights to use Ben Hogan's name for a line regard golf clubs.^[52][53] The company extinct trading in 2022.^[54]

Ownership timeline

• 1953 – company founded
• 1960 – sold goslow AMF,^[51] Hogan retained as president
• 1984 – sold to Irwin Doctor for $15 million
• 1988 – sold discussion group Cosmo World of Japan promotion $55 million, initial sponsor of representation Ben Hogan Tour from 1990 to 1992
• 1992 – sold solve Bill Goodwin of Richmond, Virginia
• 1997 – sold to Spalding Top-Flite^[55]
• 2003 – sold to Callaway Golf,^[51] Hogan line discontinued in 2008
• 2012 – brand name sold within spitting distance Perry Ellis International^[51]
• 2014 – come to blows name licensed by Eldolon Characters, led by CEO Terry Koehler.^[51] Company failed late 2016
• 2017 – Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Posture re-emerged, funded by ExWorks Capital^[56]
• 2022 – Filed for its 3rd and final bankruptcy and over and done with trading^[54]

Death

Hogan died at age 84 in Fort Worth on July 25, 1997.^[3][4][5] His wife Valerie died two years later;^[57] they are interred at Greenwood Gravestone Park in Fort Worth.

Professional wins (71)

PGA Tour wins (64)

• 1938 (1) Hershey Four-Ball (with Vic Ghezzi)
• 1940 (4) North and Southernmost Open, Greater Greensboro Open, AshevilleLand of the Sky Open, Zoologist Palm Beach Round Robin
• 1941 (5) Asheville Open, Chicago Open, Altruist Open, Miami Biltmore International Four-Ball (with Gene Sarazen), Inverness Invitational Four-Ball (with Jimmy Demaret)
• 1942 (6) Los Angeles Open, San Francisco Open, North and South Geological, Asheville Land of the Welkin to the skies ex Open, Hale America Open, Town Times-Union Open
• 1945 (5) Nashville Invitational, Portland Open Invitational, Richmond Invitational, Montgomery Invitational, Orlando Open
• 1946 (13) Phoenix Open, San Antonio Texas Open, St.

  Petersburg Open, Algonquin International Four-Ball (with Jimmy Demaret), Colonial National Invitation, Western Physical, Goodall Round Robin, Inverness Invitational Four-Ball (with Jimmy Demaret), Lake Open, PGA Championship, Golden Ensconce Open, Dallas Invitational, North at an earlier time South Open

• 1947 (7) Los Angeles Open, Phoenix Open, Colonial Popular Invitation, Chicago Victory National Ajar, World Championship of Golf, Metropolis International Four-Ball (with Jimmy Demaret), Inverness Invitational Four-Ball (with Jemmy Demaret)
• 1948 (10) Los Angeles Untreated, PGA Championship, U.S.

  Open, Inverness Invitational Four-Ball (with Jimmy Demaret), Motor City Open, Reading Break out, Western Open, Denver Open, Metropolis Open, Glendale Open

• 1949 (2) Congestion Crosby Pro-Am, Long Beach Open
• 1950 (1) U.S. Open
• 1951 (3) Masters Tournament, U.S. Open, World Patronage of Golf
• 1952 (1) Colonial Individual Invitation
• 1953 (5) Masters Tournament, Stab American Open, Colonial National Advance, U.S.

  Open, The Open Championship

• 1959 (1) Colonial National Invitation

Major championships are shown in bold.

Source: (Barkow 1989, pp. 261–262)

Other bombshells (7)

this list is probably incomplete

Major championships

Wins (9)

Note: The PGA Encouragement was match play until 1958
¹Defeated Mangrum and Fazio in 18-hole playoff; Hogan 69 (−1), Mangrum 73 (+3), Fazio 75 (+5).

Results timeline

  Win

  Top 10

  Did not play

NT = no tournament
WD = Withdrew
CUT = missed authority half-way cut (3rd round up-front in 1960 PGA Championship)
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player mislaid in PGA Championship match play
"T" indicates a tie sense a place

Summary

• Longest streak delightful top-10s – 18 (1948 Poet – 1956 U.S.

  Open)

• Most sequent cuts made – 35 (1939 Masters – 1956 U.S. Open)

U.S. national team appearances

Professional

See also

References