Ben Hogan History - August 6: Hogan's Hole In One!

On This Day in Hogan History:

by Mark Baron with Tom McCarthy

On August 6, 1947 Ben made a hole in one at the 161-yard fourth hole during the final round of the Esmeralda Open played at the Indian Canyon Golf Course in Spokane Washington. The ball hit on the edge of the green and curled long across the green to drop in the hole. It was his second hole-in-one in his professional career, the first coming in 1934 at the 10^th hole in the Texas Open, held at Brackenridge Park Golf Course.  It is an unsubstantiated rumor that Ben had five hole-in-ones in his lifetime, (ie playing in practice rounds or in tournaments).  He ended up shooting a 68 to finish T-2 along with Johnny Palmer, Ed Furgol and Ellsworth Vines, taking home $1,066.66, one stroke behind the winner Herman Keiser.  Ben missed a putt for par from less than 2 feet on the final hole that would have tied Keiser and forced a playoff.   Hogan, who was battling the flu, praised Keiser as “the world’s greatest putter even though he does not like to be called it.”