Masters of the Game: Ben Hogan

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By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM Chief of Correspondents

The nicknames are many -- "The Wee Ice Mon" or "The Hawk" for his legendary drive and determination; "Bantam Ben" for his diminutive size. But there is one thing no one disputes: Ben Hogan was the greatest ball-striker of all time.

Even at 5-foot-7 and 140 pounds, Hogan stood tall in his native Texas, where he learned the game as a caddy at Glen Garden Country Club along with Byron Nelson. He dropped out of high school and turned pro six months before his 18th birthday. He twice went broke before finally "arriving" in 1940 when he won three straight tournaments as the PGA TOUR made its annual swing through North Carolina. Hogan won his first major six years later at the PGA.

Hogan went on to become one of just five men to win the career Grand Slam. He locked up that distinction in 1953 with his first British Open title -- which was his third straight major win that year. He didn't get to attempt the calendar year Grand Slam, though, since the PGA's dates overlapped with the British Open, but it still ranks among the game's greatest seasons. The win at Carnoustie also happened to come in his only British Open appearance.

As much attention as that seminal season attracts, Hogan will always be remembered for his U.S. Open playoff victory over George Fazio and Lloyd Mangrum in 1950. That grueling win was significant since just 16 months earlier he had nearly died in a head-on collision with a Greyhound bus that crossed the center line. He threw himself across his wife Valerie to protect her and suffered a broken collarbone and career-threatening leg injuries that had doctors wondering if he would be able to walk again -- much less play golf competitively. He spent 59 days in the hospital.

Hogan was also known as an inveterate range rat. He loved to practice -- saying "Work never bothered me like it bothers some people" -- and often said that a person's game was in the dirt. Hogan often talked about the "secret" he had found, which many think involved a cupped wrist, weaker left hand and a pronounced clockwise rotation of the left arm during the backswing. No less than Tiger Woods once said that Hogan and Canadian Moe Norman where the only two players to ever "own" their swings, and it's easy to see why.

By Craig Dolch, PGATOUR.COM Contributor

1950 U.S. Open
Sixteen months after he almost died in a horrific car accident, Hogan made it through a grueling, 36-hole day to finish tied with Lloyd Mangrum and George Fazio in the 50th U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club. Hogan shot a 69 in the playoff to easily win his second national championship.

1951 U.S. Open
As celebrated as his victory was in the previous year's U.S. Open, Hogan played even better in the 1951 U.S. Open. His final round of 67 was one of only two rounds in the 60s during the entire championship at the brutal Oakland Hills' South Course. He famously said afterward he was glad he brought "The Monster to its knees."

1953 British Open
He gained the sobriquet of "Wee Ice Mon" for his steely demeanor while winning by four shots at Carnoustie. This victory -- his third consecutive major title of '53 -- enabled Hogan to join Gene Sarazen as the only two professional golfers to win the career Grand Slam.

1942 U.S. Open
This was labeled the "wartime" U.S. Open at Ridgemoor in Chicago, with the USGA involved but not sponsoring the event, and thus not recognizing it as an official Open. Still. Hogan didn't take this championship -- named the Hale American National Open -- any less seriously. His 62 in the second round is still the lowest score of any major on record, and his 72-hole total of 271 also was the lowest ever shot in a "U.S. Open." No wonder Hogan steadfastly claimed he won five U.S. Opens.

1948 U.S. Open
It shouldn't have been surprising that Hogan won the 48th U.S. Open by two shots over Jimmy Demaret at Riviera Country Club near Los Angeles. Riviera was known as "Hogan's Alley" (he also won regular PGA Tour titles there in 1947 and 1948).

By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM Contributor

1. Hogan had a fear of heights. He resigned from a Fort Worth social club, when the club moved to the top floor of one downtown building.

2. When hosting friends, Hogan always made the vodka martinis himself. He called them see-throughs.

3. Hogan considered flying home from Carnoustie in 1953 when his hotel room didn't have a bathroom. A friend arranged for him to stay in Dundee and he commuted.

4. His alter ego was Henny Bogan. He talked about him and often signed notes to friends with the name.

As in his book, "Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf." Amazon.com describes the book like this: "Ben Hogan's premise in this 1957 classic is driven home in bold letters: "THE AVERAGE GOLFER IS ENTIRELY CAPABLE OF BUILDING A REPEATING SWING AND BREAKING 80." Religions are founded on less, and Hogan's detailed analyses and illustrated demonstrations of grip, stance, posture, and the two basic components of the swing make up a sacred book. Though its very simplicity seems dated, this is the tome of technique that should serve as the foundation of every golf library." PGA TOUR winner Larry Nelson famously said the book taught him how to play the game.

MASTERS (2) U.S. OPEN (4) BRITISH OPEN (1) PGA CHAMPIONSHIP (2) 1951 1948 1953 1946 1953 1950   1948   1951       1953

Year Number of events Number of rounds 1st 2nd 3rd Top 10 Top 25 Cuts made Cuts missed Total 294 705 64 44 27 229 277 292 1 1970 3 9       1 1 2   1967 4 16     2 3 3 4   1966 4 16       2 4 4   1965 5 20       1 3 5   1964 4 16       4 4 4   1963 1 4         1 1   1962 3 12       1 2 3   1961 3 12         2 3   1960 4 16   1   4 4 4   1959 5 20 1     2 3 5   1958 3 12   2   2 3 3   1957 2 6         1 1 1 1956 5 20   1   3 5 5   1955 3 12   2   2 3 3   1954 4 14   1   3 3 4   1953 4 20 5     4 4 4   1952 3 12 1   1 3 3 3   1951 4 16 3     4 4 4   1950 6 24 1 1 1 4 6 6   1949 3 12 2 1   2 3 3   1948 20 79 10 3 2 18 20 20   1947 24 12 7 3 2 19 23 24   1946 32 8 13 6 3 27 32 32   1945 18 12 5 2 5 18 18 18   1944 2     1 1 2 2 2   1942 20 31 6 3 1 17 20 20   1941 28 71 5 11 3 27 27 28   1940 22 53 4 5 2 18 22 22   1939 18 40   3 1 16 17 18   1938 19 61 1   2 15 18 19   1937 10 27     1 5 9 10   1934 2 3       1 2 2   1933 2 7       1 1 2   1932 4 12         3 4