Post by The Boss on Aug 20, 2023 14:15:29 GMT
Yesterday in Hogan History:
On this day, Ben did nothing of significance, but there are two interesting side notes regarding today and tomorrow in Hogan history:
1. August 19, 1957, Ken Venturi won his first professional golf tournament playing as an amateur by two strokes over Bob Rosburg at the St. Paul Open Invitational at the Keller Municipal Course in Minnesota, tying the record low for the tournament at 22 under par. Art Wall Jr. and Bo Winninger each won $275.00 for shooting the low rounds of the tournament, 65’s. Ken shot a 66 in the second round tying for the second lowest score of the tournament with Don Whitt and Marty Furgol who both earned $187.50. Sam Snead, Jay Herbert and Arnold Palmer each won $100 for shooting low third lowest scores of 67. Hogan did not play
2. August 20, 1955 Arnold Palmer won his first professional tournament by four strokes over Jackie Burke, Jr. at the Canadian Open Championship at the Weston Golf and Country Club in Toronto shooting a record low 23 under par, a record that still stands today. Hogan did not play
Both men played significant roles in Hogan’s life. Palmer as the young upstart replacing Hogan as the king of golf. Palmer described their relationship “He wasn’t my kind of guy. We were, let’s say, distant friends.”
In 1958, during a practice round at the Masters Invitational, Dow Finsterwald and Arnold Palmer had a match with Hogan and 1956 Masters champion Jackie Burke. Palmer had just arrived at the course a few hours earlier and being a bit jet lagged did not play well. His partner, Finsterwald played very well and they beat the Hogan and Burke team and won $35. After the round, Palmer overheard Hogan say in the locker room “How the hell did Palmer get an invitation to the Masters?” Palmer readily admitted that the comment motivated him and he ended up winning what turned out to be his first of four Masters.
Hogan became close friends with Venturi as his mentor. They played many practice rounds together, but probably the most famous, memorialized in the book “The Match” written by Mark Frost. Prior to the Bing Crosby National Professional Pro-Am in 1956, Ben played in a warm up match teaming with Byron Nelson against two young amateurs, Ken Venturi and Harvie Ward. On the last hole of the match, Hogan and Nelson were up by one shot. Venturi made his 12-foot birdie putt and waited as Hogan lined up his 10-foot attempt for birdie. Byron Nelson said, “C'mon, Ben, knock this in and we can win.” Hogan said, “I'm not going to lose to two amateurs,” looked at Venturi and proceeds coolly to sink his 10-foot putt for birdie to win the match one up.
On this day, Ben did nothing of significance, but there are two interesting side notes regarding today and tomorrow in Hogan history:
1. August 19, 1957, Ken Venturi won his first professional golf tournament playing as an amateur by two strokes over Bob Rosburg at the St. Paul Open Invitational at the Keller Municipal Course in Minnesota, tying the record low for the tournament at 22 under par. Art Wall Jr. and Bo Winninger each won $275.00 for shooting the low rounds of the tournament, 65’s. Ken shot a 66 in the second round tying for the second lowest score of the tournament with Don Whitt and Marty Furgol who both earned $187.50. Sam Snead, Jay Herbert and Arnold Palmer each won $100 for shooting low third lowest scores of 67. Hogan did not play
2. August 20, 1955 Arnold Palmer won his first professional tournament by four strokes over Jackie Burke, Jr. at the Canadian Open Championship at the Weston Golf and Country Club in Toronto shooting a record low 23 under par, a record that still stands today. Hogan did not play
Both men played significant roles in Hogan’s life. Palmer as the young upstart replacing Hogan as the king of golf. Palmer described their relationship “He wasn’t my kind of guy. We were, let’s say, distant friends.”
In 1958, during a practice round at the Masters Invitational, Dow Finsterwald and Arnold Palmer had a match with Hogan and 1956 Masters champion Jackie Burke. Palmer had just arrived at the course a few hours earlier and being a bit jet lagged did not play well. His partner, Finsterwald played very well and they beat the Hogan and Burke team and won $35. After the round, Palmer overheard Hogan say in the locker room “How the hell did Palmer get an invitation to the Masters?” Palmer readily admitted that the comment motivated him and he ended up winning what turned out to be his first of four Masters.
Hogan became close friends with Venturi as his mentor. They played many practice rounds together, but probably the most famous, memorialized in the book “The Match” written by Mark Frost. Prior to the Bing Crosby National Professional Pro-Am in 1956, Ben played in a warm up match teaming with Byron Nelson against two young amateurs, Ken Venturi and Harvie Ward. On the last hole of the match, Hogan and Nelson were up by one shot. Venturi made his 12-foot birdie putt and waited as Hogan lined up his 10-foot attempt for birdie. Byron Nelson said, “C'mon, Ben, knock this in and we can win.” Hogan said, “I'm not going to lose to two amateurs,” looked at Venturi and proceeds coolly to sink his 10-foot putt for birdie to win the match one up.