Hogan at the Open

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Kevin Shields

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Im a fan of Hogan, despite what Dariusz might think:). I've been reading a book about Hogan recently and one of the chapters dealt with his performance at the US Open. While his record may be second to none, upon closer examination, there seems to be a few that we're marked by weekend collapses. Does anybody know more about this and if so, why does he seem to get a pass for these apparent disappearing acts late in the tournament he is remembered for dominating?

Canterbury 1946 72-68-73-72 for a 5th place
St. Louis CC 1947 70-75-70-74 for a 6th place
North wood CC 1952 69-69-74-74 for a 3rd place
Baltusrol 1954 71-70-76-72 for a 6th place
Winged Foot 1959 69-71-71-76 for an 8 th

Now I have absolutely no idea what the others in contention shot or the weather, etc. But those weekend and final round scores would be very noteworthy if he didn't win the damn thing four times but still, I had no idea he folded like that so many times late at the Open
 
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DCgolf

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Now of course the other side of this...
1948 1st
1950 1st
1951 1st
1952 3rd
1953 1st
In 49 of course he was crippled from the accident. He always claimed he won five Opens. But the 48 thru 53 period was far and away the best. I wonder if the 36 holes on Saturday were too much for his legs after accident? But that wouldnt explain 46 and 47 would it?
 
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Kevin Shields

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That's what im saying. Not bashing at all. The wins speak for themselves but I was wondering if there were any Hogan aficionados who know the circumstances behind all those late round failures.
 
Dariusz J.

Dariusz J.

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More 3-putts in the final round than usually is the most possible answer for the post-accident era.
Another year worth reminding is 1955 where he lost in a play-off due to erratic tee shot because of muddy tee (he lost torque in his rear leg's joints).

Lastly, his record is not maybe, but for sure second to none when you count only post-secret times.

Cheers
 
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ekennedy

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Used the ever-reliable Wikipedia to research some of these events and he was certainly outplayed on the weekend. Some, but not all, of the scores went up.

Several other interesting tidbits about these events...if you won the Open, congrats. If you finished, like 3rd, you won $800. That's sad and depressing.

Another interesting factoid...in 1949, Johnny Palmer finished 4th, 8th and 2nd in the Masters, US Open and PGA. I guess these purses would explain why he was a starter/ranger in Hilton Head when I worked there. Now THAT's depressing.

RIP Johnny Palmer (1918-2006)
 
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Kevin Shields

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Dariusz J. said:
More 3-putts in the final round than usually is the most possible answer for the post-accident era.
Another year worth reminding is 1955 where he lost in a play-off due to erratic tee shot because of muddy tee (he lost torque in his rear leg's joints).

Lastly, his record is not maybe, but for sure second to none when you count only post-secret times.


Cheers
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Well, to be fair, it's actually second to one. Jack Nicklaus 4 wins, 4 time runner up, 11 top five finishes, and 18 top tens. It's actually not even close but that's not what this thread is about.

Ekennedy, who won those events? Did he have the lead and was he caught or did he fall back in the pack? Very interesting.
 
Dariusz J.

Dariusz J.

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Kevin Shields said:
Well, to be fair, it's actually second to one. Jack Nicklaus 4 wins, 4 time runner up, 11 top five finishes, and 18 top tens. It's actually not even close but that's not what this thread is about.
Click to expand...

Your and mine criteria are vastly different then. Post-secret Hogan never missed a cut (Nicklaus did several times), post-secret Hogan always was in the top 10 until he was 49 (Nicklaus, apart from these 3 cuts, was outside top 10 9 times until he was 49). Hogan had 10 top fives and 15 top tens, achieved in a visibly narrower period of time.
So, you were right, Kev - it's actually not even close but that's not what this thread is about.

Cheers
 
mgranato

mgranato

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The easy answer... he's gotten "better" every year since his death. Legends tend to grow, not shrink. Wins get bigger and more incredible, chokes get smaller and more circumstantial.

I'll be a helluva player around these parts in 50-60 years.:)
 
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ej20

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mgranato said:
The easy answer... he's gotten "better" every year since his death. Legends tend to grow, not shrink. Wins get bigger and more incredible, chokes get smaller and more circumstantial.

I'll be a helluva player around these parts in 50-60 years.:)
Click to expand...

Hell,if I'm still around by then,I'll be one of those old farts who like old times too and I'll be certain to put in a good story for ya!
 
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Kevin Shields

Super Moderator
Dariusz J. said:
Your and mine criteria are vastly different then. Post-secret Hogan never missed a cut (Nicklaus did several times), post-secret Hogan always was in the top 10 until he was 49 (Nicklaus, apart from these 3 cuts, was outside top 10 9 times until he was 49). Hogan had 10 top fives and 15 top tens, achieved in a visibly narrower period of time.
So, you were right, Kev - it's actually not even close but that's not what this thread is about.

Cheers
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Hmm, more seconds, more top fives and more top tens and just as many wins without a secret. Interesting criteria you have:). But let's keep this thread on topic. I'd really like to know if anyone had any history on these Opens. How did they all go down on the weekend. Was he caught by any all time greats?
 
mgranato

mgranato

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Kevin Shields said:
Hmm, more seconds, more top fives and more top tens and just as many wins without a secret. Interesting criteria you have:). But let's keep this thread on topic. I'd really like to know if anyone had any history on these Opens. How did they all go down on the weekend. Was he caught by any all time greats?
Click to expand...

1946 - 2nd highest final round score by anyone who finished in top 10.
1947 - highest final round score by anyone who finished in top 10.
1952 - 2nd highest final round score by anyone who finished in top 10.
1954 - 2nd highest final round score by anyone who finished in top 10.
1959 - highest final round score by anyone who finished in top 10.

Only Casper and Boros were the only players of note to win those US Opens.
 
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birly-shirly

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Just looking at Hogan's scores for each week, really only '52 and '59 stuck out to me as relative collapses. '59 - it's hard to argue that he wasn't past his best and that age must have taken its toll. Was it still 2 rounds on the one day then?

'52 - who knows what happened to be 10 shots worse over the 3rd and 4th rounds. Maybe he was spraying it?
 
Dariusz J.

Dariusz J.

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1956 U.S. Open

It was unfortunate for Cary Middlecoff that the man chasing him for the 1956 U.S. Open championship was Ben Hogan.

Had it been anyone other than Hogan - who by the time he returned to Oak Hill for the East Course’s inaugural hosting of a professional major championship had become a living legend - Middlecoff would have dominated the headlines for the way he expertly negotiated a demanding layout that did not yield a single under-par 72-hole total, including his own.

But unfair as it may be, what is remembered most from that exciting tournament when Oak Hill flexed its muscles for all the world to see was not that Middlecoff won, but that Hogan lost, his quest for a record fifth U.S. Open title stymied by his miss of a 30-inch putt on the 71st hole.

Middlecoff, who began the fourth round clinging to a one-stroke lead over Hogan, finished an hour before Hogan and was sitting in the locker room watching on television as player after player failed to match his score of 1-over-par 281. Hogan came to the difficult 17th tied with Middlecoff for the lead, but he tapped his par putt just a bit too hard and it took a peak at the cup and kept going.

“It hit the hole and stayed out," Middlecoff said. "I appreciated that.”

Hogan failed to make a tying birdie at 18, and when the last challenger, Julius Boros, was unable to find one more birdie, Middlecoff celebrated the 37th victory of his career, one in which he never broke par-70 in any of the four rounds, prompting him to say “Nobody wins the Open. It wins you.”


Kevin Shields said:
Hmm, more seconds, more top fives and more top tens and just as many wins without a secret. Interesting criteria you have:).
Click to expand...

Yes, I take percentage over overall wins when make such comparisons. Almost the same top 5's and top 10's in 10-years shorter period of time. Hogan is being considered easily as the greatest US Open contender ever. I can bet a lot of money the very Nicklaus has no probs with accepting that fact and saying it publicly - same as he had no probs to admit who was easily the best ballstriker. Yet some of you have still such problems.

Cheers
 
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ej20

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Nicklaus said Hogan was the best ballstriker?

Didn't Hogan say Wild Bill Mehlhorn was the best ballstriker he ever saw?

Then who the heck is the best ballstriker ever?Mehlhorn?
 
otto6457

otto6457

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A quick search of the 1946 Open shows that Hogan missed the 3 man playoff by one stroke. Mangrum won in a playoff against Nelson and Ghezzi. Hogan tied for 4th with Herman Barron. So I wouldn't call Hogan's play a "collapse" in 46. Probably a missed putt or two was the difference. Plus...Ben pocketed a cool $550.00 for his effort.

In 1947 Hogan finished T6 (289) Worsham beat Snead in a playoff. 282 was the score Worsham and Snead shot to get into the playoff. BTW...Hogam earned $400.00 for his T6. This 6 shot loss could be seen as a collapse. His score by round was 70-75-70-74 with the second and final rounds being comparatively poor compared to the field.

Any poor performances post accident would be hard to criticize since we have no way of knowing what his physical condition was. From reading a few Hogan biographies it seems his pain levels were up and down and that at times he was racked with pain.

I couldn't find any really good write-ups that went beyond the details of the play-offs. There are probably some good ones out there but I didn't want to spend too much time looking.
 
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