USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT: JUNE, 1953 5 How Great Is Ben Hogan? By HERBERT WARREN WIND AUTHOR OF "THE STORY OF AMERICAN GOLF"

Not for a very long time-perhaps, not believed that he had passed his peak. So since Bob Jones won them all in 1930- what did Ben do? He proceeded to un- has a performance by a golfer excited furl what were undoubtedly the four most the admiration of the game's insiders as masterful consecutive rounds of his tour- did Ben Hogan's four rounds over the nament career and what may well be the Augusta National last April when he four most nearly errorless rounds any lowered the Masters record by five strokes golfer ever produced in a major compe- simply by not playing one loose shot in tition. 274. It is certainly understandable if, since This happened many weeks ago and Augusta, a number of reliable critics have ordinarily it would have been pretty well decided that Ben is, without any qualifi- digested by now. Yet here we are, still cations whatsoever, the greatest golfer talking ab_out Hogan's display and trying who ever lived. A golfer's exact histor- to assess it properly. It was, to use Ber- ical rating, though-as the admirers of nard Darwin's favorite adjective, that Vardon and J ones and of Hagen, Sara- "indecent." Nobody, not even Hogan, was zen and Nelson have pointed out-is a supposed to be able to play golf that well. difficult thing to determine in a game How great a golfer is this nerveless man in which the equipment and the playing who seems to hit the ball straighter as conditions have undergone such drastic the gallery and pressure increase, who changes over the years. Perhaps it \vould reels from the jolt of missing a five- be fairest to put it this way: in the long footer for a birdie on the fifty-seventh history of golf, there probably never has to the extent of hitting his tee shot on been a better golfer than Ben Hogan. the next hole, the par-3 fifty-eighth, one foot from the cup? What Hogan Must Prove Well, he can no longer be passed off This disposition to elevate Hogan to a as "the best golfer pound for pound who status comparable to that of Vardon and ever lived," "the finest exponent of the J ones is widespread but not by any steel-shaft swing," or \vith the other dis- means unanimous. The most interesting creet qualifications used by those of us dissent comes from that band of tradition- who' knew how good Ben was but were alists who claim they cannot go along jealous about protecting the standings of with such a rating until Ben wins a Brit- . our favorite Champions of earlier eras, in ish Open and demonstrates he is equally whose victories we felt a greater sense of a Champion at "that other kind of golf" participation than Ben's austere person- -controlling the ball when the wind is ality permits. ripping hard across a British links, with Yet again, I wonder if we really knew its snuggger fairway lies, its rougher how good Ben was before this last Mast- rough and its hard, unwatered greens. ers. Between 1948 and 1952, we had Whether or not you agree with this watched him, before his accident and reasoning, the implicit suggestion that after his brave recovery, win his first Ben take a crack at the British Open is Masters, his second PGA and three USGA one that, indeed, stirs a golfer's imagi- Opens in four attempts. When Ben falt- nation. How would Ben, who has never ered last year on his final rounds in both played a competitive round in Britain, the Open and the Masters, just as if he make out in their Open? Would he be were human, a good many of us privately able to adapt his magnificent technique 6 USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGt:l\U:NT: JU:-i£, 1953 to those foreign conditions and be the it would be a downright shame if a same master tactician, the same dynamic golfer of Ben's rare genius were to pass machine relentlessly fashioning one just- from the scene without taking at least one about-perfect shot after another? crack at the oldest of the great Cham- The guesses vary. pionships. The we're - not - so - sure - Ben - could- do-it school has doubts about his long ap- USGA PUBLICATIONS OF proach-putting, but the most pro,:ocative GENERAL INTEREST point they raise is based on the assump- tion that in very windy conditions Ben THE RULES OF GOLF, as approved by the United might be blown off the fairways and, on States Golf Association and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotlancl, some courses, be faced with the one shot effective January 1, 1952 (1953 edition). he has apparently not mastered: the re- Booklet, 25 cents (special rates for quantity covery from high, tough grass. In Our orders). 1951 Open at Oakland Hills, they con- ARE YOUR LOCAL RULES NECESSARY?, a reprint tinue, Ben 'played some shots from the of a USGA Journal article containing recom- rough with an almost unbelievable lack mendations regarding local rules. No charge. THE' RULE ABOUT OBSTRUCTIONS, a reprint of Q of authority. On the fifty-first hole, for USGA Journal article. No charge. example, after driving into the rough USGA GOLF HANDICAP SYSTEM FOR ME"', along the right on this medium~length dog- Containing recommendations for computing leg par 4, Ben hooked a weak, ducking Basic and Current Hanclicaps and for rating iron across the fairway into the rough on Courses. Booklet, 25 cents. the left, fluffed his third halfway to the HANDICAPPING THE UNHANDICAPPED, a-=;:. green into a bunker and had Settle for print of a USGA Journal article elCplaining to! the Callaway system of automatic handicap. a 6. The exaggerated flatness of Ben's ping for occalional players in a single tourna- swing, which accounts for his tremendous ment. No charge. hi!ting power, is his undoing in tall grass, TOURNAMENTS FOR YOUR CLUBS, a reprint of Q thIS school avers. His blade must force USGA Journal article detailing various type. its way through many more inches of im- of competitions. No charge. peding grass than the blade of the golfer PROTECTION OF PERSONS AGAINST L1GJtTNING who. attacks the ball with a more sharply ON GOLF COURSES, a poster. No charge. vertIcal arc. MOTION PICTURES ON GOLF. No charge. HOLE-IN-ONE AWARDS. No charge. Hogwash, the Hogan-could-do-it school GLOSSARY OF GOLF TERMS. No charge .. answers. All Ben would need would he a AMATEURISM IS IN THE HEART, a reprint of CI . few weeks of practice to make all the USGA Journal article by E. G. Grace. No necessary adjustments-he has always charge •. __ managed to modify his repertoire of shots THE UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATiON, a to meet the different requirements of the pamphlet describing its origin and activities. No charge. courses selected for our major tourna- ments. BEnER LAWNS TO COME, a reprint of a USGA Journal article. No charge. The precise dates of the USGA and TURF MANAGEMENT, by H. B. Musser (McGraw .. British Opens vary each year, of course, Hill Book Co., Inc.), the authoritative book an but there is usually at least three weeks, greenkeeping. $7. ample tune-up time, between the con- USGA JOURNAL AND TURF MANAGEMENT, a 33- page magazine published seven times a year clusion of ours and the start of the Brit- and containing authoritative information Oil ish. Let us hope that at least one of these the Rules of Golf, USGA championships, summers, while he is at the top of his handicapping, amateur status, greenkeeping game, Ben will arrange his schedule to methods, clubs Qnd ball, new trends ancl the play of the game. $2 a year. include playing in the British Open. If he did, it would be a wonderful thing for These publications are available on request to the United States Golf Association, 40 East 38th international golf. And, on the other hand, Street, New York 16, N. Y.