This Day in Hogan History:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEN HOGAN

By: Mark Baron – On August 13, 1912, Ben Hogan was born in Stephenville, Texas; he was the third and youngest child of Chester and Clara (Williams) Hogan. His father was a blacksmith and the family lived ten miles southwest in Dublin until 1921, when they moved 70 miles northeast to Fort Worth.

Happy Birthday Mr. Hogan, aka the Wee Ice Mon / the Hawk / Bantam Ben!

If he were alive today, he would be 105 years old…

Byron Nelson and Sam Snead were also born the same year as Ben, within months of each other in 1912. There is a great book out by James Dodson called the American Triumvirate about the lives of these three and their relationships they had with each other and the public. Hogan, Nelson and Snead essentially shaped the landscape of American golf, the world of golf as it exists today, and this book outlines the significant role each player had in their careers. There are many shot-by-shot accounts of tournaments in this book that are fascinating.

Raise a toast to golf’s preeminent ball striker and to the way he proved to us (many times over) how dogged determination can overcome life’s biggest obstacles.

The first photo, Ben’s wife, Valerie, said was one of her favorite pictures of Ben…

Other photos of Ben in a jovial mood.

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