Sixty Years Ago, an Unbeaten Season for Golfer
By MARTIN DAVIS
The 50th anniversary of Jack Nicklaus’s first Masters victory has been a much discussed milestone ahead of this year’s tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. But there is another significant anniversary this year.
Sixty years ago, Ben Hogan won all five official PGA Tour events he entered, including all three of the Grand Slam tournaments.
In the aftermath of the horrific automobile crash in February 1949 that almost took his life, Hogan was not expected to walk, but when he did, he was not expected to play golf and certainly not compete at the very highest level. But through guts and determination and hard work, he persevered, winning the 1950 United States Open 16 months after the accident. Red Smith wrote reverentially about Hogan in The Herald Tribune, “We shall never live to see anything like it again.”
With a truncated playing schedule — his battered legs could not take much play — Hogan went on to win the Masters and the United States Open again in 1951. In 1952, he played in only three events, winning the Colonial at his home course in Fort Worth, and tying for seventh in the Masters and placing third in the United States Open.
But 1953 would stand out as perhaps the greatest season a professional golfer has ever had.
It all started at the Masters in April. Despite scattered rainstorms, Hogan, 40, caught the best of the weather each day, playing under a sunny sky and a gentle breeze with just enough rain before his tee times to take the fire out of the fast, undulating Augusta greens. After a first-round 70, he was tied for fourth place, two back. After a three-under-par 69 in the second round, Hogan led by one stroke over Bob Hamilton, the 1944 P.G.A. champion. Such was his ball-striking that it was said Hogan was “knocking the flagsticks down.”
In the third round, his putter seemed to come alive and equal the quality of his tee-to-green shotmaking. His putting was usually his Achilles’ heel, but Hogan forged a 66, two off the then-course record. His round was highlighted by a 60-foot putt at the ninth for a birdie 3 to close out the front nine in 32. Hogan later said, “This was the best I’ve played at Augusta.”
Hogan’s 54-hole total of 205 bettered the previous record of 207 by Byron Nelson, his childhood friend and rival. Hogan continued his sterling play in the final round with superior ball-striking. On the downhill, par-5 second hole, he left his drive tight to the left-hand Georgia pines, making a long second shot to the green extremely difficult. He selected his 4-wood — his favorite club at Augusta, especially on the par 5s — and struck a magnificent shot off a downhill lie that drew around to the left in a gentle parabola to reach the putting surface. Two putts later, he had his first birdie.
To stake his claim during his final round, he hit a 3-iron to within 10 inches at the long par-3 fourth for a kick-in birdie. Despite a three-putt bogey at the par-3 sixth and another at the par-5 eighth, he added a birdie at the par-5 13th after a long, 275-yard drive, leaving him a mere 4-iron to the green. He added one more birdie at the par-5 15th after laying up with his second shot.
He sealed his round of 69 with a birdie from 8 feet at the par-4 18th hole. His aggregate score of 274 was a record at the time, smashing the previous mark by five strokes. Perhaps more remarkable: on a course full of eagle opportunities on the par 5s, Hogan made nary a one, scoring 22 birdies and 8 bogeys.
No less an authority than an Augusta National co-founder, Bobby Jones, said that he never thought anyone would put on such an exhibition. Only four golfers have had a better winning score since: Jack Nicklaus in 1965 (271), Raymond Floyd in 1976 (271), Tiger Woods in 1997 (270) and 2001 (272), and Phil Mickelson in 2010 (272).
Hogan went on to win the United States Open at Oakmont and the British Open at Carnoustie in the only time he entered, earning the love of Scotland, where he was called “The Wee Ice Mon,” for his approach to the ancient game.
Martin Davis, the editor and publisher of “The American Golfer,” has written or edited 24 books on golf, including “The Ryder Cup: Golf’s Grandest Event,” which is scheduled for release in July.
AI
