THE MASTERS TOURNAMENT BEN HOGAN STORY

(Back here Monday for final, succinct remarks on this after saying, didn't that course look beautiful and green? What a great Masters. Period. -- PH 4/9/2018)


Many years ago, during my high school years my family moved from San Antonio to the residential neighborhood that surrounded the Champions Golf Club northwest of central Houston, which had two 18-hole courses overseen by golf legends Jimmy Demaret and Jackie Burke. I had often played golf in San Antonio and may have legitimately broken 100 for 18 holes once or twice.


I could get home from school, grab my clubs and pick up one of the courses located behind houses across the street. Well, the hole I would always play was a ferocious one -- a par 3 dog leg to the left that crossed a Grand Canyon-looking ravine that had to be at least 150 feet deep. The only way to the green was across “The Grand Canyon."


Well, that monstrous hole and my embarrassment at showing my poor form at the practice range and on the links made me give up golf for good. Later, as a sportswriter I covered many tournaments at courses in South Florida, from the Doral in Dade County to the PGA courses in Palm Beach County. That wicked par 3 back at Champions was a distant memory.


Imagine my amazement decades after I had last lived in Houston when I read this in a golf magazine: The great Ben Hogan played his final round of professional golf on those links I used to play after school at Champions. That damned par 3 across the Grand Canyon had gotten to him as it had always gotten to me -- he had a five over par 8 and gave up professional golf.




That monster hole had kicked both our butts -- this hack and one of the greatest golfers ever.