Ben Hogan was a legendary golfer who is regularly recognized with other top names like Tiger Woods, Walter Hagen, and Jack Nicklaus. He is considered as one of the best players in the history of the game and is known for his “golf swing philosophy” and ball-striking proficiency. Golf pros and ambitious amateurs alike continue to read The Modern Fundamentals of Golf, which he wrote throughout his career.
He had an enormous impact on athletics and left a lasting memory as a fierce perfectionist with an iron will. At the height of his career, he was one of only five golfers in history to have triumphed in nine major competitions, including two Masters, one British Open, four United States Opens, and two P.G.A. crowns.
To the delight of all of his supporters, he made a spectacular recovery from a terrible accident that almost cost him his life. He was the proud recipient of numerous honours and recognitions, and he was well-known for his remarkable golf field management skills, which were so powerful that they could bring even the most fearsome opponents to their knees.
Quick facts of Ben Hogan
Ben Hogan NickName: The Hawk, Bantam Ben, The Wee Iceman
Also Known As: Ben Hogan
Died At Age: 84
Family:
Spouse/Ex-: Valerie Fox (1911–1999)
Father: Chester Hogan
Mother: Clara Williams Hogan
Siblings: Royal
Golfers American Men
Died On: July 25, 1997
Place Of Death: Fort Worth
U.S. State: Texas
His Wife Valerie Fox Hogan
Vanessa Fox Ben Hogan, often referred to as Valerie Fox, was born on July 26, 1911, in Fort Worth, Texas. In 1932, after Ben obtained a job as a golf club professional in Cleburne, they reconnected. Ben originally met Valerie Fox in the middle of the 1920s in Sunday school in Fort Worth.
On their first date, they went to the movies and then, before returning home, stopped at a lemonade stand. Valerie was cited as saying: “When we got home, he asked, ‘May I kiss you?’ and I said, ‘I don’t think so, but thank you for a great evening.'” Valerie was asked about that first date. I was content. Through the open window, my sister Sarah was listening, but I was blind to her presence.
Sarah started acting like us as soon as I got inside the home, saying, “May I kiss you goodnight? No, in my view. She did it so regularly over the course of the few days that my mother had to nag her to stop. It seems that Valerie Fox Hogan and Ben’s mother never got along, as she opted not to attend their parents’ home wedding in April 1935.
Career
He dropped out of Central High School to focus on his game and made his professional golf debut at the Texas Open in San Antonio at the age of 17, despite having a terrible hook.
At the 1932 Los Angeles Open, where he competed in his debut P.G.A. Tour match, he earned $.8.50 and placed 38th.
Before becoming the head professional, he started out as an assistant professional at Century Country Club in Purchase, New York, in 1938. When the head position at Pennsylvania’s Hershey Country Club was offered to him in 1941, he was unable to decline it. Up until March 1940, he had participated in a number of professional competitions, but had not had much luck. But after that, he won three straight competitions in North Carolina. He was successful right away and, using what he lovingly referred to as his “secret,” he mastered the game. He managed to nail a power draw by releasing his left hold and swinging his arm in a clockwise motion.
His career was on hold from 1943 to 1945 because he was called to active duty in the military during World War II. He was headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, and served as a utility pilot for the US Army Air Force.
Due to World War II, he didn’t play golf for a few years. However, in 1946, the year he won the P.G.A championship, he returned fully to the game. Two years later, he won the competition once more.
Between August 1945 and February 1949, Hogan won 37 races. A catastrophic vehicle accident in 1949, however, derailed his career and left him paralysed for sixteen months.
Despite the physicians’ predictions that he would never be able to play again, he overcame their predictions during the 1950 U.S. Open. He not only participated in the competition, but by playing 36 holes on the last day despite great pain, he also managed to take first place.
In 1950, he made the decision to participate in seven PGA Tour events annually, and he went on to win 13 more tournaments, including six majors. Prior to Tiger Woods surpassing him in the new millennium, Ben Hogan was the only individual to ever win three major titles in a single calendar year.
1951 saw him participate in five different competitions, winning three of them, including the Masters, the U.S. Open, and the World Golf Championship.
When he won the British Open, the U.S. Open, and the Masters in the same year, he made golfing history as the first player to ever do so. The British Open’s scheduling precluded him from taking part in the PGA Championship, which was also on his agenda.
In Fort Worth the same fall, he founded his own golf business, the “Ben Hogan Golf Company.” In 1957, he published “Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf,” a successful golf instruction book.
In 1960, he kept his position as chairman but sold the company to American Machine and Foundry (AMF). After sales to Bill Goodwin, Spalding, Cosmo World of Japan, and Callaway Golf, the company was ultimately shut down.
Before he formally retired four years later, Hogan fired a tournament-best 30 on the back nine at the 1967 Masters.
Awards & Achievements
He won the Vardon Trophy three times for having the lowest overall score in 1940, 1941, and 1948.
In 1974, he was accepted into the “World Golf Hall of Fame.”
In 1976, he received the “Bob Jones Award,” one of the highest honours granted by the United States Golf Association for sportsmanship in golf.
He was named 38th on ESPN’s list of the “SportsCentury 50 Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century” in 1999.
He was ranked as the “second greatest player of all time” by Golf Digest magazine in 2000.
Ben Personal Life & Legacy
He married Valerie Fox Hogan in April 1935. While attending Sunday school in Fort Worth, he first ran into her, and later, while working as a club professional, they reconnected.
The pair narrowly missed a fatal head-on collision with a bus on February 2, 1949. In an effort to save his wife Valerie Fox Hogan, he threw himself across her, which also saved his life. If he hadn’t stood up from his seat to protect her, the steering column would have penetrated his chest.
He was motionless for several months following the injury, and the doctors believed he would never be able to walk or play football again. When he was finally discharged from the hospital, 59 days after the accident, he astonished all of his admirers by making a comeback.
When he went unexpectedly in Fort Worth, Texas, he had recently undergone colon cancer surgery and was in bad health.
His legacy is substantial. In the movie “Follow the Sun: The Ben Hogan Story,” which was based on his life, Glenn Ford portrayed Hogan.
Ben Hogan’s career, comeback, and accomplishments are specifically highlighted in a section of the USGA Museum and Arnold Palmer Center for Golf History.
Since Hogan was involved in the development of the original blueprints while still living, nine of the 18 holes at the Trophy Club Country Club Golf Course are referred to as the “Hogan” course.
There are also two Ben Hogan Awards in golf: one is presented to a collegiate player, and the other is given to any golfer who returns to the sport despite having a handicap or another injury.
Ben Hogan Net Worth And Career Earning
Ben Hogan Net Worth was $176,728,205, or $176.7 million, was the richest golfer. He climbed to third place on the list of all-time wealth thanks to his significant earnings, behind only Phil Mickelson (92.2 million dollars) and Tiger Woods (nearly 120.9 million). He earned $30,400 over his career, approximately $300,000.
Ben Hogan Cause Of Death
Ben Hogan Death
Perhaps Hogan’s poise in loss was what affected the audience the most. Many people still want to possess his charm and tenacity. Or perhaps the lack of resources he faced as a young boy and his tenacious pursuit of athletic excellence strengthened his character and commitment. Hogan had one of his most challenging battles with adversity in the beginning of 1949, a year that had started with him winning two of the season’s first four events.
On February 2, Hogan and his wife Valerie Fox Hogan were travelling back to Fort Worth in their Cadillac when they were hit head-on by a Greyhound bus. To save his wife Valerie Fox Hogan, Hogan threw his body to the right, away from the steering column, which might have easily crushed him. Instead, he was harmed so severely that doctors believed he would never be able to walk normally again. Hogan had another near-death experience before undergoing surgery to prevent blood clots from entering his heart.
Hogan took up the game of golf in addition to relearning how to walk. Some claim that Hogan practised his swing until his hands bled during the ten months he spent in rehabilitation. Only 16 months after the collision, Hogan won the U.S. Open at Merion despite excruciating leg cramps. Hogan’s 1950 Player of the Year selection is evidence of his unwavering tenacity. Sam Snead had won 11 events, set a scoring-average record, and won the money title, therefore he was without a doubt deserving of the award. yet Diaz claims that “Snead excelled at the game of golf. Hogan’s dedication and bravery made him a hero.”
Trivia
This well-known American golfer, who was one of the “best ball-strikers” at the time, played and practised the sport without gloves, in contrast to other players at the time.
