Ben Hogan

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Lore & Background

Hogan was introduced to golf through caddying at age 11 at Glen Garden Country Club in Fort Worth, walking seven miles each way. He turned professional aged 17. He struggled at the start of his career and did not win a professional tournament until he was 26. After serving in the U.S. Army Air Forces from 1943 to 1945, Hogan claimed his first major championship at the 1946 PGA Championship, which was one of his 13 tournament victories that year. He won the 1948 U.S. Open with a record score of 8-under 276. In 1949, Hogan sustained near-fatal injuries in a head-on collision with a bus while driving home from a tournament. He recovered and returned to golf, winning the 1950 U.S. Open in what became known as the 'miracle at Merion'. Hogan achieved the Triple Crown in 1953, with victories at the Masters Tournament, the U.S. Open and the Open Championship. In total, he won 64 professional tournaments recognized as PGA Tour events. Outside of playing golf, Hogan started his own equipment company and authored Ben Hogan's Five Lessons, which became one of the most influential and best-selling golf books. He was named an inaugural inductee to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.

In Their Own Story

In 1922, when Hogan was nine years old, his father Chester shot himself with a .38 revolver in the family home in Fort Worth. By some accounts, Hogan was in the same room, although biographer James Dodson noted this was uncertain as the family refused to discuss it and contemporary newspapers gave conflicting reports. The suicide troubled Hogan for the remainder of his life. The family incurred financial difficulties, and nine-year-old Hogan sold newspaper copies at a nearby train station. In a 1983 interview, Hogan said he was grateful for his difficult childhood: 'Because I know tough things, and I had a tough day all my life, and I can handle tough things. ... And every day that I progressed was a joy for me, and I recognized that. I don't think I could have done what I've done if I hadn't had the tough days to begin with.'

Reader's Guide

Hogan's father Chester shot himself with a .38 revolver in the family home in Fort Worth on February 13, 1922. By some accounts, Hogan was in the same room as his father at that time, although biographer James Dodson noted this was uncertain as the Hogan family afterwards refused to discuss the incident and contemporary newspapers gave conflicting reports whether Hogan witnessed his father's suicide or not. Hogan's mother Clara initially discouraged him from golf, unfavorably comparing him to his older brother and saying Hogan's golf was 'nothing'. Hogan persisted despite the criticism. He was self-taught through watching the swings of players he caddied for and through trial and error, aside from basic pointers from club professional Ted Longworth.

Did You Know?

• Hogan walked seven miles each way to caddy at Glen Garden Country Club.
• He won 13 tournaments in 1946, including his first major, the PGA Championship.
• Hogan's 1948 U.S. Open win was with a record score of 8-under 276.
• He achieved the Triple Crown in 1953, winning the Masters, U.S. Open, and Open Championship.