Ben Hogan
Ben Hogan
Ben Hogan had more dedication than any athlete today. Throughout his life Mr.Hogan overcame a very traumatic childhood, recovered from a nearly fatal head-on collision with a bus and built a golf equipment empire.
Ben Hogan was born in a small town in Texas called Dublin. He was one of three children. When Ben was only six years old he witnessed his father commit suicide while playing in the same room. " At age nine my childhood was shot through the heart".(p.14) obviously Hogan was traumatize by the tragedy. Hogan's instinctive reaction was to become protective of his mother. After the suicide the family underwent serious financial problems. To do his part Ben began selling newspapers, until he heard that their was big money to be made at the local golf club for caddies. This was Hogan's ticket into golf, with golf being considered a "rich man's" game Hogan probably would never have started playing golf. Because of the poor wages the caddies recieved, most of the caddies made money by gambling on golf, this was where
Hogan's dedication was shown even as a child. Hogan was much smaller than any of they other caddies so they usually beat him. But Hogan wouldn't accept it, instead he would show up for work a couple of hours early and practice his heart out, " Sometimes I practised until my hands bled."(p.11) Finally he began winning the bets, but also caddy and junior tournaments too.
Secondly, on February 1, 1949 Hogan was on top of the world, having won the US OPEN, the MASTERS and appearing on the cover of Time life Magazine. Until he collided head on with a twenty thousand pound passenger bus. Hogan suffered a broken collarbone, broken left ankle, broken right leg, broken pelvis and a few broken ribs.
Ben Hogan had more dedication than any athlete today. Throughout his life Mr.Hogan overcame a very traumatic childhood, recovered from a nearly fatal head-on collision with a bus and built a golf equipment empire.
Ben Hogan was born in a small town in Texas called Dublin. He was one of three children. When Ben was only six years old he witnessed his father commit suicide while playing in the same room. " At age nine my childhood was shot through the heart".(p.14) obviously Hogan was traumatize by the tragedy. Hogan's instinctive reaction was to become protective of his mother. After the suicide the family underwent serious financial problems. To do his part Ben began selling newspapers, until he heard that their was big money to be made at the local golf club for caddies. This was Hogan's ticket into golf, with golf being considered a "rich man's" game Hogan probably would never have started playing golf. Because of the poor wages the caddies recieved, most of the caddies made money by gambling on golf, this was where
Hogan's dedication was shown even as a child. Hogan was much smaller than any of they other caddies so they usually beat him. But Hogan wouldn't accept it, instead he would show up for work a couple of hours early and practice his heart out, " Sometimes I practised until my hands bled."(p.11) Finally he began winning the bets, but also caddy and junior tournaments too.
Secondly, on February 1, 1949 Hogan was on top of the world, having won the US OPEN, the MASTERS and appearing on the cover of Time life Magazine. Until he collided head on with a twenty thousand pound passenger bus. Hogan suffered a broken collarbone, broken left ankle, broken right leg, broken pelvis and a few broken ribs.