Ben Hogan
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. In the weeks after the accident several other complications
occurred like blood clots in his lungs, the doctors said he would
probably never play competitive golf again. However in the months of
recovery that followed, Hogan practiced the things he could do with his
injuries like practice his short game. For the next thirteen months
Hogan practiced to the best of his ability, gradually improving.
Thirteen months later he entered the L.A open and finished second this
demonstration shocked the world, for it was only thirteen months
earlier people thought they would never see Hogan play again.
In 1953 Hogan decided
to produce his own line of clubs. In 1954, after a year of struggling
sales, Hogan bought out his partners due too "creative differences".
Hogan took time off his regular playing schedule in order to over
see operations of his plant and to, "see if I can make some damn money
out of this thing."(p.207) Hogan worked harder than anyone in '54
designing clubs that he liked and felt were traditional. But it wasn't
until he realized people wanted something new, that he made money. After
his revolutionary cavity back design made his company number one in
sales he decided he had done enough. Hogan decided to sell the company.
He sold the company that he started for only 500 000 dollars thirty
years later, for approximately 210 million dollars.
In conclusion, Ben
Hogan had a difficult life filled with adversity. But he madethe best of
what was given to him. He overcame a traumatic childhood too become the
best golfer of his time. When doctors told him he probably wouldn't play
golf again because of his accident, he decided he wasn't finished yet
and practiced his way back to his old form and in to the record books.
And finally when his own friends didn't have faith in the company he
built he bought them out , put a lot of hard work into it and sold it
for millions. Ben Hogan was a truly dedicated champion.
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