Ben Hogan

|branch = U.S. Army Air Forces |rank =  Captain |unit = Fort Worth Army Air Field |serviceyears = 1943–1945 |battles = |awards = }} William Ben Hogan (August 13, 1912 – July 25, 1997) was an American professional golfer who is considered to be one of the greatest players in the history of the game. He is notable for his profound influence on golf swing theory, his assiduous practice, and his ball-striking skill. Hogan won nine major championships, and is one of six men to complete the career grand slam.

Hogan was introduced to golf through caddying at age 11 and turned professional when he was 17. He struggled at the start of his career and did not win a professional tournament until he was 26. After serving in the U.S. Army Air Forces from 1943 to 1945, Hogan claimed his first major championship at the 1946 PGA Championship, which was one of his 13 tournament victories that year. He won the 1948 U.S. Open with a record score of 8-under 276.

In 1949, Hogan was struck in a head-on collision with a bus while driving home from a tournament. He sustained serious injuries, but recovered and returned to professional golf, winning the 1950 U.S. Open in what became known as the "miracle at Merion". Hogan achieved the Triple Crown in 1953, with victories at the Masters Tournament, the U.S. Open and The Open Championship. In total, he won 64 professional tournaments recognized as PGA Tour events.

Outside of playing golf, Hogan started his own equipment company and authored ''Ben Hogan's Five Lessons'', which became one of the most influential and best-selling golf books. He was an inaugural inductee to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Johnny Miller proclaimed in a 2013 Golf.com interview: "Ben is more respected for the quality of his shots than any golfer ever in history and that includes Woods or Nicklaus—nobody has been copied more than Ben Hogan and his book has been copied more than any book ever." Provided by Wikipedia