Ben Hogan Golf Clubs

Ben Hogan started caddying as a young boy to earn 65 cents a round and to develop his golfing skills. He turned pro in 1929, at the ripe old age of 17 so that he could play pro events in Texas. It took until 1932 to join the PGA Tour. His first event was the 1932 Los Angeles Open where he finished 38th winning $8.50. For much of his early career Ben Hogan battled with a hook. But with a huge amount of practice and dedication he perfected his swing to produce his classic controlled fade which formed the basis of his success.

In 1937 struggling financially and with his fourth attempt at the pro tour he won the Oakland Open in California and banked $285. It proved to be the turning point in his career. This enabled him to get a job as a club professional outside New York City. So much of his success was because of his intensive practice sessions that he is said to have invented practice for the touring pros.

Ben Hogan won 30 tournaments before winning his first major – The 1946 PGA Championship. That’s a record for the most wins before winning the first major title. In all, Ben Hogan played in 292 career PGA Tour events and was in the top 3 over 47% of the time. He was in the top 10 as massive 241 times even though he had major circulatory problems in his legs due to a car wreck that limited the amount of tournament he could play in.

From 1950 onward he played a maximum of 7 PGA Tour events a year, but still managed 13 more wins, 6 of which were majors. Ben Hogan was the only player to win three professional majors in one season until Tiger woods in 2000. He may have won all 4 but the PGA event started too close to the finish of the British Open so he didn’t play. Between 1946 and 1953, he won 9 of the 16 majors he played in.

Ben Hogan was a true perfectionist. Even though he won a lot of tournaments he was dissatisfied with the quality of the equipment available to golfers – both pro and amateur. So he decided to design and manufacture the “best golf clubs in the world” using ”the most exacting tolerances modern machinery will allow”. He brought his same quest for perfection to the production of his golf clubs and Ben Hogan Golf has produced many of the best golf clubs available over the years. He said “There are no shortcuts in the quest for perfection” and Ben Hogan golf clubs continue to reflect this vision.

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