Golf hero Ben Hogan bore a mystique that still captivates golfers: a silent, almost eerie concentration that intimidated his opponents, a presence any politician or actor would envy, and an ability to hit a ball so squarely it sizzled as it left his club. Hogan won four US Opens in six years, three after a near-fatal automobile accident. His injuries limited him to six tournaments in 1953, but he won five. It was arguably the greatest year ever in the history of professional golf.
But in the midst of the acclaim, myth distorted and obscured Ben Hogan. No one knew what drove him to practice until his hands bled, or what private demons built the high walls that surrounded him. Here at last is the Hogan no reader has ever encountered. Sampson draws on interviews with fellow golf legends Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus, and Sam Snead to present an in-depth portrait of a man with bullet-proof confidence and single-mindedness, a man who turned the negatives he encountered into a life of glory and achievement.From the poverty of his youth and the suicide of his father to the failure and conflict that stalked him into middle age, Hogan traces an unforgettable portrait of an amazing man.
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"Many books are filled with flourish and pomp, but this book contains many unflattering comments and insights while remaining reverential to the Hogan mystique and legend, and I think that's rare."
— Al (4 out of 5 stars)
“I couldn’t have won the US Open without reading this book.”
— Steve Jones, 1996 US Open Champion“A superb and insightful portrait of the most elusive and complex champion in golf history.”
— Golf Digest“No serious golfer ever tires of hearing Hogan stories. Curt Sampson has dissected Ben Hogan and what he is about in further detail than anyone. This is a fascinating look at perhaps the most feared and revered golfer of all time.”
— Ben Crenshaw" What a wonderful insight into one of the golfing Greats, makes you whish you could've joined him in a round - no matter how stoic he might have been. "
— Leon, 9/30/2013" One of the best biographies of Ben Hogan available. Wonderful detail into the man's life. A must read for any golfer. "
— Kevin, 12/30/2011" This was about: Hogan declining, Palmer at his peak, and Nacklus rising. Absolutely fascinating. "
— Dale, 7/19/2009" A short overview of the 1960 professional golf season with background information on many of the "name players". Pretty sketchy but it did get me interested in reading a Palmer biography. "
— Terry, 7/14/2008Curt Sampson, a former professional golfer, is the author of several books, including The Eternal Summer, Full Court Pressure, and The Masters. Sampson lives in Bristol, Texas, with his wife and two children.
Grover Gardner (a.k.a. Tom Parker) is an award-winning narrator with over a thousand titles to his credit. Named one of the “Best Voices of the Century” and a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine, he has won three prestigious Audie Awards, was chosen Narrator of the Year for 2005 by Publishers Weekly, and has earned more than thirty Earphones Awards.