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Ben Hogan The American Golfer; Net Worth, Biography

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James William
Ben Hogan The American Golfer; Net Worth, Biography

Ben Hogan (1912–1997) had a mystique and appeal in golfing circles that were unmatched by others. He was frequently revered but also sometimes misunderstood. In the 1940s and 1950s, he rose to fame by winning a sizable number of Professional Golfers Association (PGA) competitions. Hogan developed a reputation for diligence and competence both on and off the golf course.


Chester and Clara Hogan welcomed Hogan into the world on August 13, 1912, in Dublin, Texas. When Ben was nine years old, Ben's blacksmith father, Hogan, committed suicide. Just after her husband passed away, his mother relocated the family to Fort Worth. Hogan attended Fort Worth schools but chose to work rather than finish high school. When he could find work, he caddied at Fort Worth's Glen Gardens Country Club and peddled newspapers at the railway station. In an article for USA Today, Jerry Potter claimed that Hogan occasionally would save two newspapers and set up a bed in the bunker next to the 18th green. He would spend the night there to be first in line for the caddie the following morning.


Gardner Dickinson, a former PGA Tour player and Hogan disciple, was reported by Potter as saying, "Ben was a little small fellow, so they'd toss him to the back of the line." "That's how he got so mean," someone said. Hogan has been described as mean by some, but according to others, he just stayed to himself. There is no denying that while Hogan was courteous on the course, he was frequently harsh off the course, earning him a long-lasting image as a secretive competitor. One could argue that his behaviour just demonstrated his preference for deeds over words. When it came to golf, Hogan was most definitely not a natural. He would put a lot of effort into improving his game.


Ben Hogan’s Net Worth And Earning

Ben was the wealthiest golfer, Ben Hogan Net Worth was $176,728,205, or $176.7 million. Due to his substantial profits, he rose to third place on the list of all-time wealth, trailing only Phil Mickelson (92.2 million dollars) and Tiger Woods (nearly 120.9 million). Over the course of his career, he made $30,400, or almost $300,000.


Early Struggles of Ben Hogan

Hogan's dedication could only be explained by his love of the game. Hogan, at 17 years old, became a professional in 1929, and two years later, with little more than a pocket coin, he started competing in PGA events full-time. His early attempts, according to Potter, were utterly futile. Potter said, "He had a long, fluid swing that created outrageous shots. He struck a massive hook first, followed by a big slice. Seven years after turning pro, Hogan would not take home a PGA Tour victory until 1938.


Hogan made unsuccessful attempts to compete in important tournaments between 1931 and 1937. Hogan's game did not advance until he went from a right-handed to a left-handed swing in the late 1930s, according to John Omicinski, writing for Gannett News Service. He also received "some very simple grip instructions from pal Henry Picard" at that time. He "lost his duck hook and started smashing shots of such purity that people came from miles around just to see them fly" at that point.


When Hogan won $380 at the PGA tournament in Oakland, California, in 1937, he and his wife Valerie—whom he married in 1935—were on their last $5. Even though Hogan came in second, it was still the motivation he needed to keep playing. Hogan once informed Potter, when asked why he worked so hard: "I was attempting to support myself. I'd twice failed to qualify for the Tour. I have to get better at defeating my opponents."


Hogan stated he never took golf instruction and instead picked up all the skills he needed from observing seasoned players. Hogan said Potter, "I saw the way they hit the ball and the way they swung the club. In a touring pro's routine, working hard on the practice green has become standard, but it was unheard of in Hogan's time.


Leader of the money board

Hogan led the money boards in 1940 and earned the PGA's Harry Vardon trophy thanks to his $10,656 earnings during that year. He has 56 straight tournament finishes in the money between 1939 and 1941. With a 62 at the PGA Oakland Open in 1941, Hogan tied the previous course record. When he was enlisted in the Army Air Force in 1943, he took a two-year vacation from golf but was once again in first place on the money board in 1941 and 1942.


After being discharged from the Army, Hogan started to gain momentum. Some of his first victories following his return to the United States were compensated in war bonds. However, Hogan's sickness episode pushed him back and caused him to go through a major putting slump. According to Jamie Diaz's article in Sports Illustrated, Hogan suffered what some people believe to be the most heartbreaking back-to-back defeats in the annals of major championships in 1946. He needed an 18-foot putt at the Masters to win his first major PGA event. Hogan missed a second attempt after running his first putt three feet past the hole. He found himself in the same predicament on the last green at the U.S. Open at Canterbury in Cleveland two months later. Hogan made another three-putt. Instead of calling it quits, Hogan continued his career and won the PGA Championship at Portland Golf Club, starting a major winning streak that has never been matched.


In 1946, Hogan again took home the top prize, and two years later he made golf history by being the first player to win all three majors in one calendar year—the Western Open, the National Open, and the U.S. Open. He had at last found his footing. From the 1946 PGA to the 1953 British Open, Hogan would finish first in nine of the 16 majors he competed in. Although, according to Diaz, "there was always a sense that he held something deep within that was much more interesting than his talent" because of his enigmatic demeanour.


Life-Changing Accident

Perhaps what so moved the audience was Hogan's composure in defeat. Even now, many people aspire to have his grace and tenacity. Or perhaps it was the lack of resources he experienced as a boy and his persistent efforts to improve at his sport that helped to fortify his character and resolve. Early in 1949, a year that had begun with Hogan winning two of the first four tournaments of the season, he faced one of his most difficult battles with adversity. On February 2, Hogan was struck head-on by a Greyhound bus as he and his wife were returning to Fort Worth in their Cadillac. Hogan flung his body over to the right, avoiding the steering column that might have easily crushed him, to protect his wife. Instead, he was hurt so badly that medical professionals thought he would never be able to walk again. Before having surgery to prevent blood clots from entering his heart, Hogan had another close encounter with death.


In addition to relearning how to walk, Hogan also picked up the game of golf. Some report that while Hogan was receiving rehabilitation for ten months, he rehearsed his swing until his hands bled. Hogan won the U.S. Open at Merion despite painful leg cramps just 16 months after the crash. Hogan was selected Player of the Year in 1950, which is a testimonial of his unwavering tenacity. Sam Snead was unquestionably deserving of the prize because he had established a scoring-average record, won 11 events, and won the money title. yet Diaz claims that "Snead was an excellent golfer. Hogan was a hero because of his commitment and bravery."


The Mystique of Hogan

Hogan had a reputation for being mysterious due to his outstanding on-course performances and his quiet, frequently aloof demeanour. He was frequently described as being sombre, austere, and occasionally outright nasty. Hogan, though, truly preferred for his deeds to speak for themselves. He frequently interrupted new golfers before they could finish their sentences and directed those looking for advice to one of his books. Hogan was always the epitome of a professional, never displaying any emotion or being distracted while playing the course. The almost spooky presence he brought to the greens was a result of his steady concentration and ability to lay the ball precisely where he planned.


Numerous accounts exist of his generosity toward children, his friendliness toward some journalists, as well as his morality and sense of integrity. Some claim that Hogan's capacity to connect with people was significantly impacted by the horrifying experience of actually seeing his father commit suicide. Even professional golfers like Byron Nelson, who grew up with Hogan in Fort Worth and transported him to tournaments, would admit that they struggled to stay in touch. He was well recognised for his admiration and respect for his wife, though. Hogan was popular because of his illustrious athletic career and the allure of his reserved demeanour. A 1951 biographical movie called Follow the Sun starring Glenn Ford was about Hogan and his wife.


Three Major Tournament Victories

Following his vehicle accident, Hogan won six major championships. His compendium of golf dos and don'ts, Power Golf, was released in 1948. Herbert Warren Wind and also co-authored the best-selling Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf, which came out in 1957. He won the British Open, the U.S. Open, and the Masters in 1953, returning to New York City for a ticker-tape procession. He founded the Ben Hogan Co., a company that makes golf clubs, in the same year.


Despite his achievements, Hogan had a particularly difficult time walking the courses after the car tragedy. Even though he had since the injury restricted himself to seven tournaments annually, ongoing pain will hamper his golfing in the future. Diaz writes that Hogan "endured terrible disappointment in quest of a record fifth U.S. Open title" after his victory in the 1953 British Open at Carnoustie.


The 1959 Colonial Open was where Hogan claimed his final PGA championship win. Hogan sold his golf club business to AMF in 1960. Ron Sirak of the Associated Press reports that Hogan "Until the next-to-last hole when he gambled for the pin and shot a ball that rolled backwards off the green and into the sea, he was tied for the lead in the 1960 U.S. Open. The tournament was won by Arnold Palmer, and 20-year-old Jack Nicklaus came in second. Hogan had handed a new generation the moniker of Greatest in the Game."


After his final PGA event in 1971, Hogan become even more introverted and was rarely seen in public. He then moved back to Fort Worth, where the Colonial Country Club still has a statue of him outside the main entrance. Hogan lost 30 of his meagre 140 pounds while in the hospital for two months in 1987 due to illness. He had emergency surgery for colon cancer in 1995, and he never completely recovered his former vitality. Even after Hogan was told he had Alzheimer's disease, his wife remained his constant friend and carer. Following a significant stroke, Hogan passed away in Fort Worth, Texas, on July 25, 1997. Age-wise, he was 84.


Hogan had a successful professional career that lasted five decades, winning 63 matches, nine major titles, four U.S. Open crowns, the career Grand Slam, and three professional Grand Slam events in a single season. The driving range was not widely known before Hogan. But Hogan's commitment to training altered everything. He personified bravery and tenacity. Hogan still maintains a reputation for precision and tenacity even if the game has changed.


More Information on Ben Hogan

November 6, 1998, Dallas Morning News.


30 July 1997, Detroit News.


Reuters News Service, 24 June 1996.


26th July 1997, Shawnee News-Star.


June 27, 1955; August 4, 1997; Sports Illustrated.


28th July 1997, USA Today.



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