By Carrie Jean Duncan
2005 Communications Intern

A feared competitor, Ben Hogan lived by his code of work, study and endurance. This “code” would prove valuable to Hogan with 63 PGA tournament victories and 71 wins overall.

Ben Hogan

Hogan won nine major tournaments in his professional career and remains one of only four men to win The Masters, the U.S. Open, the British Open and the PGA Championship at least once.

“I always outworked everybody,” Hogan said. “Work never bothered me like it bothers some people.”

Born on August 13, 1912 in Dublin, Texas, Hogan would face tragedy at an early age. His father was a blacksmith who died when Ben was nine.

Hogan then settled in Fort Worth, Texas, where he would begin his life in golf as a caddy along with Byron Nelson at Glenn Garden Country Club. When Hogan joined the professional circuit in 1932 at the age of 20, he had very little early success. He went broke twice, and on the eve of the 1938 Oakland Open, Hogan contemplated quitting golf. Instead, he shot a final-round 69 to finish second and win $380.

And so, Hogan continued. “I played harder that day than I ever played before or ever will again,” he said.

His first victory came in 1938 at the Hershey Four Ball with teammate Victor Ghezzi. Thereafter, the victories would only get bigger and multiplied.

Tragedy revisited Hogan on February 12, 1949. Having finished in second place at a tournament in Phoenix, Hogan and his wife decided to skip the Texas Open and drive home to Fort Worth. Nearing home, Hogan’s car collided head on with a Greyhound bus when it crossed a center divider. Hogan and his wife, Valerie, luckily survived the crash. Hogan, who nearly died, broke his collarbone, ankle and pelvis. For the rest of his life, Hogan would suffer with his leg injury.

Doctors said he would never play golf again. But, the fierce competitor would continue to play and in the following year, Hogan put up his strongest fight in the 1950 U.S. Open at Merion. In an 18-hole playoff with George Fazio and Lloyd Mangrum, Hogan would clinch the first of his four U.S. Open victories and was named PGA Player of the Year for the second time.

“Merion meant the most,” Hogan would later say looking back on his career of impressive victories.

In 1953, Hogan would make his debut at The Masters. Being the supreme concentrator that he was, Hogan spent two weeks prior to the tournament studying the ins and outs of the course. His “code” proved to be a success with his victory at Augusta and the tournaments that followed.

During his career, Hogan was named PGA Player of the Year four times and never lost a Ryder Cup match. He also never finished out of the top 10 at any U.S. Open.

Hogan won his final professional event in 1959 in his hometown at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth. His fifth win at Colonial, he shot a 72-hole total of 285. In 1974, Hogan was inducted in the World Golf Hall of Fame with the likes of Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen and former co-worker Byron Nelson.

Hogan will best be remembered by his competitive spirit and his strong work ethic. Professionally, his 1953 season will best mark his talent.

Hogan died in 1997, but his legacy still resonates just as strongly as it did over 50 years ago.