Ben Hogan had not played a competitive round for ten months prior to The Masters Tournament of 1967. He was 54 years old, suffering a persistent shoulder injury, and his troublesome legs were aching. But on Saturday April 8 at Augusta National, ‘Bantam Ben’ shot the lowest round of the tournament to give himself a realistic chance of a most unlikely victory. This is the story of how the sweet-swinging veteran equalled an Augusta scoring record in his last ever Masters outing.
Hogan was a late developer as a professional. Unlike his contemporaries Sam Snead and Byron Nelson (all three were born in 1912), his early years in the paid ranks were tough and he didn’t get an individual win until 1940, ten years after turning pro. His nine Majors all came in a relatively short spell from 1946 to 1953, with his two Masters wins in 1951 and 1953.
In 1951 Hogan caught and passed Skee Riegel in the final round at Augusta. Riegel had been US Amateur Champion but his runner-up finish to ‘The Hawk’ that year was the highlight of his professional playing career.
In 1953, Hogan enjoyed a stellar year. Aged 40, he won three Majors and only logistics meant he couldn’t go for the Grand Slam. In April, he stormed to a second Masters title, smashing the
