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Hogan's return to form in '53 set new standard
Posted: Saturday April 05, 2003 10:25 PM
Updated: Sunday April 06, 2003 1:48 AM
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Ben Hogan signs autographs at the 1962 Masters Tournament. Hogan's wife (left) walks behind him. In 1953, Hogan was the first golfer to win three professional majors in a single year. File/AugustaChronicle |
By John Boyette
The Augusta Chronicle
Ben Hogan seldom let the pressure of the final round of a major championship get to him.
So when he coughed up the lead in majors not once, but twice, in 1952, the golf world should not have been surprised by his record-setting performances a year later.
After all, the steady, even-keeled Hogan had lost two of golf's most important titles - the Masters and the U.S. Open - in 1952 with closing rounds that were uncharacteristic. A final-round 79 opened the door for Sam Snead to win at Augusta National, and a pair of 74s on the final day of the U.S. Open at Northwood in Dallas cost Hogan that victory.
But Hogan thrived on challenges - he defied odds by returning to his world-class form after a horrific car accident in 1949 - and he had some scores to settle after the disappointments of the previous year.
Hogan had not played any tournament golf in 1953 when he arrived at the Masters in April, but he quickly showed that his game was up to par. An opening 2-under-par 70 left him tied for fourth, two shots behind leader Chick Harbert.
The Texan took a lead he wouldn't relinquish in the second round, shooting a 3-under 69.
In winning his first Masters title in 1951, Hogan had never held the lead until the final round of the tournament. A closing 68 gave him a two-shot victory that year.
Hogan made sure he would have some breathing room in the '53 Masters with his brilliant play in the third round. A scorching 6-under 66 was the low round of the day and gave him a four-shot cushion over Ed "Porky" Oliver.
Mindful of what happened the year before, Hogan never let down his guard in the wet and windy conditions of the final day. After playing the front nine in even par, Hogan birdied both of the par-5s on the back nine and capped his victory with a birdie on the 18th hole for a 69.
More importantly, Hogan had shattered the Masters scoring record for 72 holes with his total of 14-under 274. It was five shots better than the previous record, and his five-stroke margin of victory over Oliver tied a record.
As usual, Hogan was indifferent about the record.
"Oh? That's nice, but I was only trying to win a golf tournament," Hogan told reporters after the final round.
"Hogan's record will stand forever," 1938 Masters winner Henry Picard said after Hogan's win.
Well, not quite. It stood for 12 years, until Jack Nicklaus broke the record with his 271 total in 1965. Tiger Woods now holds the record with his 270 total in 1997.
What has stood the test of time is how Hogan performed for the rest of 1953.
After winning the Masters, Hogan continued his solid play with wins in the Pan-American Open in Mexico City and the Colonial in his hometown of Fort Worth, Texas. But it is what he did in his final two tournaments of the year that set Hogan apart.
At Oakmont, Hogan won the U.S. Open for a record-tying fourth time after opening with an impressive 67. Snead challenged for the lead, but a closing 76 was no match for Hogan's 71.
Hogan had never played in the British Open, but he entered the 1953 tournament at Carnoustie. He went overseas early to prepare, and it paid off with a four-stroke victory.
In winning the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open, Hogan had achieved golf's version of the Triple Crown. He was the first golfer to win three professional majors in a single year, and most experts rank it as one of the top years in the annals of golf.
A scheduling quirk kept Hogan from playing in the PGA Championship, which was a match-play event back then. The final round of the PGA and a mandatory qualifying round for the British Open were held on the same day. It was doubtful that Hogan would have competed; his legs, battered in the crash four years earlier, probably would not have been able to withstand the 36-hole rounds of match play.
Nevertheless, Hogan's five victories in six starts were mighty impressive. The Triple Crown stood for 47 years, until Woods won three majors in succession in 2000.
Hogan might not have been the flashiest player of his era, and his mechanical swing was not as picturesque as that of Snead, but his results spoke for themselves.
"There was some magnetism to him," said Bob Sommers, a longtime editor of Golf Journal. "When you were watching him, you knew you were watching the best in the game."
Reach John Boyette at jboyette@augustachronicle.com.
Copyright 2003 The Augusta Chronicle. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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