Conference 7.286::golf

    The world premier of Follow The Sun was held in Fort Worth in March
    1951. Jimmy Demaret, Cary Middlecoff, and Sam Snead played themselves
    in the picture.
    
    	Hogan was defending his championship later that spring in the
    Greenbriier Invitation which was held in West Virginia which was Sneads
    home turf. Hogan said the theater marquee announced: "FOLLOW THE SUN -
    staring SAM SNEAD."
    
    ;^)
    
    

    
      Did any of you see the interview with Hogan a few months back??
      When asked what he thought golf was like , he said:
      "like the right foot of God" !!
      Both baseball and golf seem to have that elusive spiritual
      content that lifts it to another level much higher
      and nobler than anything else. Anybody disagree ??
    
      As Bill Lee said , Fenway Park is not a baseball park..
      it's more like a
                       cathedral"...
                      
      I guess the same could be said if Augusta...
                                 Ang.
         
    

re: .2

	Golfers will never realize how good Hogan realy was....


	In one U.S. OPEN he hit every fairway and missed only 1 green
in the FOUR days of competition.....when was the last time any of todays
golfers even came close to that in a MAJOR tournament???

	In 1953 he won the MASTERS, US OPEN, and the BRITISH OPEN and
because of a conflict in schedules did not compete in the PGA Tourney
or he may have been the only player since Jones to complete the Grand
Slam. As it is with all the great golfers that have come along since,
NONE has won three majors in one year, not even Nicklaus....

	In 1965, at the age of 55, on Shell's Wounderful World of Golf
he played a made for T.V. match against Sam Snead and hit all 14 fairways
and all 18 greens to win by three strokes

	In 1967, at the age of 57, was the last hurrah for Hogan as
on the back nine of the Masters Tournament he shot a record tying six
under par for a 30 on the back and a finishing score of 66 for the day.


	And these were all accomplished AFTER he recovered from a
near fatal head on collision in 1949 leaving him with legs that
wouldn't carry most of us 9 holes...

	He was SO accurate from tee to green that whenever he was in
a tournament the only question asked was who will finish second...

	Boring golf maybe, but the most difficult kind to beat...

    Yes, Hogan was an unbelievable player form tee to green.
    He was only a moderate putter.
    
    On the subject of Nicklaus, I believe that after Nicklaus won the US
    Open at Pebble Beach in 1972, he was the holder of three of the four
    Slam titles. He won the USPGA c'ship in February 1971, the Masters in
    April 1972 and the Open in June 1972.
    In my book that's the equal of Hogans achievement.
    
    BTW: Nicklaus finished 2nd in the British Open in 1972.
    The USPGA is normally played in August , but I believe it was played in
    February in the 1971 season.
    
    Martin

    yes I've seen this rationalization over the years that modifys
    the "winning three majors in a year" to "holding three titles
    at the same time" but that to me is like apples and oranges...
    
    during the war years you could also say there were many who held
    three or even four titles at the same time, because so of the
    tourneys were not held but that doesn't put them up there with
    Jones...at least not in my book....
    
    I'm not trying to take anything away from Nicklaus, BUT HOGAN
    is the ONLY GOLFER who WON THREE OF THE MAJORS IN A YEAR...
    which Nicklaus has NEVER done...
    
    

    Tommy Bolt was onced asked " Who's better, Nicklaus or Hogan?"
    
    His reply was " Well I've seen Nicklaus watch Hogan practice
    but I've never seen Hogan watch Nicklaus practice...!!"
    
    Hogan did recognize the talent though, when playing with a young
    Nicklaus in an early tourney Hogan was being asked questions in
    the press tent after, he had been paired with Nicklaus,
    and after being asked some questions about his round he finally
    got a little upset at some of the writers lack of knowledge
    and said "Hell I played with a kid that should have won this
    thing by twenty strokes..."

    re: last few
    
    OK, I'm only trying to stir things up a bit. But not a lot of people
    know that Nicklaus held three majors at one time.
    Hogan's achievement in 1953 , and also Jones' in 1930 , was to win
    everything that mattered that he could enter. That is something.
    
    The story about Hogan complimenting Nicklaus was in the 1960 US Open,
    when Nicklaus was an amateur. Hogan said that if Nicklaus had been able
    to putt, then he would have won.
    
    martin
    
    

    In an interview with Golf Digest in 1988 Nicklaus was asked:
    
    Which three players in the history of the game would make up
    your dream foursome?
    
    he answered:
    
    I'm going to pick two guys because I've never played with them.
    Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen. Then I'd add Ben Hogan because I'd
    want him as my partner.
    
    After the 1960 US Open where Hogan and Nicklaus were paired together
    for the last 36 holes Nicklaus said that Hogan would seek him
    at every Masters or Open he played in for a practice round.
    Nicklaus thought that was a nice compliment.

    The famous Hogan swing can still be seen if you go to a certain country
    club in Fort Worth(I can't recall the name) early on certain weekdays
    when the course is inactive. I'm told his swing is the same as it ever
    was but he's very much a recluse now and attends only the rarest of
    events.
    
    Bob

    From an interview with Hogan I have it says his swing can still
    be seen at Shady Oaks Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas...
    
    interview was in 1985 so it may have changed...
    

From the Web:

GOLF GREAT BEN HOGAN RECOVERING FROM SURGERY

Golf legend Ben Hogan is recovering from surgery today in a Fort Worth,
Texas, hospital. The 82-year-old Hogan underwent six-hour emergency colon
surgery late Monday night.

According to a spokeswoman from All Saints Hospital in Fort Worth, Hogan
was placed in the intensive care unit upon completion of the operation. He
was listed in critical condition all day Tuesday. His status was upgraded
to fair this morning and he was moved to a private room.

Hogan remains a legend in the golf world. His 63 PGA tour victories place
him third behind Sam Snead (81) and Jack Nicklaus (70) for all-time wins.
His greatest year was 1953, when he recorded victories in three of the four
Grand Slam tournaments, the U.S. Open, Masters and the British Open.

Hogan stable after tumor surgery


FORT WORTH, Texas -- Golfing great Ben Hogan remained in stable condition
Wednesday after undergoing emergency tumor surgery.

Hogan, 82, was in the intensive care unit of All Saints Hospital. His wife
of more than 50 years, Valerie Hogan, said her husband is doing fine after
the surgical procedure.

``The doctors all say he's doing remarkably well,'' Valerie Hogan said.
``They removed all of the tumor and said he'll be fine. It's just going to
take a few weeks to get his strength back.''

Dr. Peter Rutledge removed a tumor Monday during a six-hour operation, said
Mrs. Hogan.

Hogan had been in ``great'' health and going to his office every morning,
his wife said, but he experienced abdominal pain on Sunday. He was taken to
the hospital Sunday night after his physician, Dr. James Murphy, examined
him at home.

Hogan had been looking forward to attending a luncheon next Monday
launching Ben Hogan Week in Fort Worth, his home since 1923. The luncheon
has been postponed indefinitely.

He translated a stern, no-nonsense approach to the game into victories in
63 PGA Tour events over a career that spanned more than three decades. Only
Sam Snead (81) and Jack Nicklaus (70) have won more. At 135 pounds, he was
one of the smallest golf champions.

On Feb. 2, 1949, as he and his wife were returning from a tournament in
Phoenix, his car was struck by a bus near El Paso. He came out of the
collision with fractures of his left collarbone, left ankle, pelvis and
several ribs. Doctors said he might not walk again.

Hogan not only walked, but resumed his career and won the U.S. Open in
1950, the U.S. Open and Masters in 1951, and the U.S. Open, Masters and
British Open in 1953.

Six of his nine victories in ``Grand Slam'' events came after the accident.
He had won the PGA in 1946 and 1948 and his first U.S. Open title in 1948.


The remarkable comeback was featured in the movie ``Follow the Sun,'' with
Glenn Ford portraying Hogan.

His three major victories in 1953 brought him close to a still-unfulfilled
sweep of the PGA, the U.S. Open, Masters and British Open in the same year.


A statue of Hogan is to be unveiled during a ceremony May 23 at Fort
Worth's Colonial Country Club. That is the day of the opening round of the
Colonial National Invitation Tournament, which he won five times.

	I'd really like to get my hands on some footage of Hogan's swing, 
	either touney action or instructional stuff, does anyone know of a 
	video that might fit that bill, I'm gonna try and find the movie 
	"Follow the Sun" on video, as this was the first I had heard of it.

	Turk

    re: .13
    
    edwin watts golf stores have a new video package on ben hogan
    
    cost is 150.00
    
    check with them...