Golf Network News ← Back to the clubhouseClubhouse

Ben Hogan

United States · born , Stephenville, Texas, USA · died

9major championships

Summary

  • First major 1946 PGA Championship
  • Last major 1953 The Open
  • Ryder Cup 2 Cups · 3-0-0 · 3 points (100.0%)
  • Ryder Cup captain 1947, 1949, 1967
  • Runner-up in majors 6 times

Wins

  1. 1946 PGA Championship Portland Golf Club · won the final 6 & 4 against Ed Oliver
  2. 1948 PGA Championship Norwood Hills Country Club · won the final 7 & 6 against Mike Turnesa
  3. 1948 U.S. Open Riviera C.C. · 276 (-8) · by 2 strokes from Jimmy Demaret
  4. 1950 U.S. Open Merion G.C. · 287 (+7) · won a playoff against Lloyd Mangrum and George Fazio
  5. 1951 The Masters Augusta National Golf Club · 280 (-8) · by 2 strokes from Skee Riegel
  6. 1951 U.S. Open Oakland Hills C.C. · 287 (+7) · by 2 strokes from Clayton Heafner
  7. 1953 The Masters Augusta National Golf Club · 274 (-14) · by 5 strokes from Ed Oliver
  8. 1953 U.S. Open Oakmont C.C. · 283 (-5) · by 6 strokes from Sam Snead
  9. 1953 The Open Carnoustie Golf Links (Championship Course) · 282 · by 4 strokes from Frank Stranahan, Antonio Cerda, Peter Thomson and Dai Rees

Near misses

  1. 1942 The Masters Augusta National Golf Club · runner-up to Byron Nelson · 280 · lost playoff
  2. 1946 The Masters Augusta National Golf Club · runner-up to Herman Keiser · 283
  3. 1954 The Masters Augusta National Golf Club · runner-up to Sam Snead · 289 · lost playoff
  4. 1955 The Masters Augusta National Golf Club · runner-up to Cary Middlecoff · 286
  5. 1955 U.S. Open Olympic Club · runner-up to Jack Fleck · playoff: 18 holes, 69–72
  6. 1956 U.S. Open Oak Hill C.C. · runner-up to Cary Middlecoff

Ryder Cup

2 Cups, 3 matches: 3 won, 0 lost, 0 halved, 3 points. Foursomes 2-0-0, four-ball 0-0-0, singles 1-0-0.

  1. 1947 Portland Golf Club USA · USA won 11–1 · 1-0-0, 1 point
  2. 1951 Pinehurst Resort, Course No. 2 USA · USA won 9.5–2.5 · 2-0-0, 2 points
  3. 1947 Captain USA · won 11–1
  4. 1949 Captain USA · won 7–5
  5. 1967 Captain USA · won 23.5–8.5

Rivals

Beat him

Beaten in finals and playoffs

Mike TurnesaLost the 1948 PGA Championship final to Ben Hogan

Ryder Cup partners

Ryder Cup opponents

Next in the chain: Byron Nelson's rivals →

Moments

  1. 1946 PGA Championship Hogan was 3 down to Oliver after the morning 18 of the final, then rallied in the afternoon to win 6 & 4.
  2. 1946 PGA Championship Oliver beat defending champion Byron Nelson 1 up in the quarterfinals, Nelson's last PGA Championship match.
  3. 1948 PGA Championship In the quarterfinal Claude Harmon led Snead 5 up after a morning 64; Snead shot 64 in the afternoon to square it with a five-footer on the 36th, then putted around a Harmon stymie on the 37th.
  4. 1948 PGA Championship On the 42nd hole a tape measure decided who was away and Harmon holed his roughly 20-foot putt to beat Snead.
  5. 1951 Masters Hogan closed with a bogey-free 68 to win his first Masters by two strokes over Skee Riegel.
  6. 1951 Masters Co-leader Sam Snead shot 80 in the final round, including an 8 on the 11th hole after two balls in the water.
  7. 1953 Masters Hogan's 274 broke the Masters scoring record by five strokes and stood until Jack Nicklaus shot 271 in 1965.
  8. 1953 Masters Hogan went on to win the U.S. Open and the British Open the same year, taking all three majors he entered in 1953.
  9. 1953 Open On the par-5 6th Hogan drove down the narrow left strip between bunkers and out of bounds in all four rounds - the line now called 'Hogan's Alley'.
  10. 1953 Open In the final round Hogan chipped in from 30 feet for birdie at the 5th, saved par at 17 and birdied 18 for a course-record 68.

Records and firsts

  1. 1942 Masters Most runner-up finishes · 4 (Hogan 1942, 1946, 1954, 1955; Nicklaus 1964, 1971, 1977, 1981; Weiskopf 1969, 1972, 1974, 1975) (Ben Hogan; Jack Nicklaus; Tom Weiskopf)
  2. 1942 Masters Most playoffs (player) · 2 (Hogan 1942, 1954 (lost both); Faldo 1989, 1990 (won both); Cabrera 2009 (won), 2013 (lost); Rose 2017, 2025 (lost both)) (Ben Hogan; Nick Faldo; Angel Cabrera; Justin Rose)
  3. — PGA Championship second-biggest final margin · 7 & 6 (Sam Snead d. Walter Burkemo, 1951; Ben Hogan d. Mike Turnesa, 1948)
  4. 1949 Ryder Cup Youngest non-playing captain · 37y 34d

Results by championship

    Best day

    1953 U.S. Open

    Oakmont C.C., Oakmont, PA · 283 (-5) · by 6 strokes from Sam Snead

    Chosen by rule: his widest winning margin in a major. Year page: 1953.

    Career line, 1942–1956

    Masters
    1942 Masters: runner-up to Byron Nelson1946 Masters: runner-up to Herman Keiser1951 Masters: won1953 Masters: won1954 Masters: runner-up to Sam Snead1955 Masters: runner-up to Cary Middlecoff
    PGA Championship
    1946 PGA Championship: won1948 PGA Championship: won
    U.S. Open
    1948 U.S. Open: won1950 U.S. Open: won1951 U.S. Open: won1953 U.S. Open: won1955 U.S. Open: runner-up to Jack Fleck1956 U.S. Open: runner-up to Cary Middlecoff
    The Open
    1953 The Open: won
    Ryder Cup
    1947 Ryder Cup (USA): 1-0-01951 Ryder Cup (USA): 2-0-0
    194519501955

    17 results. Hover or tap a mark; click it for the year.

    • Major win
    • Runner-up
    • Ryder Cup, USA

    Ben Hogan was born on August 13, 1912, in Stephenville, Texas, USA. Hogan won 9 major championships: 2 Masters (1951, 1953), 2 PGA Championships (1946, 1948), 4 U.S. Opens (1948, 1950, 1951, 1953) and 1 Open Championship (1953). Hogan played in 2 Ryder Cups for USA (1947, 1951), winning 3, losing 0 and halving 0 of 3 matches for 3 points, and captained the side in 1947, 1949 and 1967.

    See Ben Hogan in our rooms: The Masters, U.S. Open, The Open, Greatest Golfer by State and Every Ground.

    Cards you pull this visit stack here. Tap one to go back to it.

    The record

    Wins in the majors (9)

    1. 1946 PGA Championship Portland Golf Club, Portland, Oregon · won the final 6 & 4 against Ed Oliver
    2. 1948 PGA Championship Norwood Hills Country Club, St. Louis, Missouri · won the final 7 & 6 against Mike Turnesa
    3. 1948 U.S. Open Riviera C.C., Los Angeles, CA · 276 (-8) · by 2 strokes from Jimmy Demaret
    4. 1950 U.S. Open Merion G.C., Ardmore, PA · 287 (+7) · won a playoff against Lloyd Mangrum and George Fazio (18 holes)
    5. 1951 The Masters Augusta National Golf Club · 280 (-8) · by 2 strokes from Skee Riegel
    6. 1951 U.S. Open Oakland Hills C.C., Birmingham, MI · 287 (+7) · by 2 strokes from Clayton Heafner
    7. 1953 The Masters Augusta National Golf Club · 274 (-14) · by 5 strokes from Ed Oliver
    8. 1953 U.S. Open Oakmont C.C., Oakmont, PA · 283 (-5) · by 6 strokes from Sam Snead
    9. 1953 The Open Carnoustie Golf Links (Championship Course) · 282 · by 4 strokes from Frank Stranahan, Antonio Cerda, Peter Thomson and Dai Rees

    Near misses

    1. 1942 The Masters Augusta National Golf Club · runner-up to Byron Nelson · 280 · lost playoff
    2. 1946 The Masters Augusta National Golf Club · runner-up to Herman Keiser · 283
    3. 1954 The Masters Augusta National Golf Club · runner-up to Sam Snead · 289 · lost playoff
    4. 1955 The Masters Augusta National Golf Club · runner-up to Cary Middlecoff · 286
    5. 1955 U.S. Open Olympic Club · runner-up to Jack Fleck · playoff: 18 holes, 69–72
    6. 1956 U.S. Open Oak Hill C.C. · runner-up to Cary Middlecoff

    U.S. Open top-10 finishes in his career: 15 (GNN U.S. Open room data).

    Ryder Cup

    Hogan played 2 Ryder Cups for USA: 3 matches, 3 won, 0 lost, 0 halved, 3 points (100.0% of those available). By format: foursomes 2-0-0, four-ball 0-0-0, singles 1-0-0 (won-lost-halved).

    1. 1947 Portland Golf Club USA · USA won 11–1 · 1-0-0, 1 point
    2. 1951 Pinehurst Resort, Course No. 2 USA · USA won 9.5–2.5 · 2-0-0, 2 points
    3. 1947 Captain USA · won 11–1
    4. 1949 Captain USA · won 7–5
    5. 1967 Captain USA · won 23.5–8.5

    Partners, with matches played together: Jimmy Demaret (2).

    PGA Championship match play

    Every recorded match in our bracket file, 1916–1957: 22 won, 5 lost, including 2 of 2 finals.

    1. 1939 Round of 64 beat Steve Zappe 7 & 6
    2. 1939 Round of 32 beat Abe Espinosa 5 & 4
    3. 1939 Round of 16 lost to Paul Runyan 3 & 2
    4. 1940 Round of 64 beat Frank Champ 3 & 2
    5. 1940 Round of 32 beat Harry Nettlebladt 5 & 4
    6. 1940 Round of 16 beat Al Brosch 5 & 4
    7. 1940 Quarterfinal lost to Ralph Guldahl 3 & 2
    8. 1941 Round of 64 beat Frank Walsh 5 & 3
    9. 1941 Round of 32 beat Bud Oakley 2 up
    10. 1941 Round of 16 beat Horton Smith 3 & 2
    11. 1941 Quarterfinal lost to Byron Nelson 2 & 1
    12. 1942 Round of 32 beat Ben Loving 7 & 6
    13. 1942 Round of 16 beat Ky Laffoon 9 & 8
    14. 1942 Quarterfinal lost to Jim Turnesa 2 & 1
    15. 1946 Round of 64 beat Charles Weisner 2 & 1
    16. 1946 Round of 32 beat William Heinlein 4 & 3
    17. 1946 Round of 16 beat Art Bell 5 & 4
    18. 1946 Quarterfinal beat Frank Moore 5 & 4
    19. 1946 Semifinal beat Jimmy Demaret 10 & 9
    20. 1946 Final beat Ed Oliver 6 & 4
    21. 1947 Round of 64 lost to Toney Penna 3 & 1
    22. 1948 Round of 64 beat Jock Hutchison Jr. won on 23rd hole
    23. 1948 Round of 32 beat Johnny Palmer 1 up
    24. 1948 Round of 16 beat Gene Sarazen 1 up
    25. 1948 Quarterfinal beat Chick Harbert 2 & 1
    26. 1948 Semifinal beat Jimmy Demaret 2 & 1
    27. 1948 Final beat Mike Turnesa 7 & 6

    Masters Champions Dinner

    No menu has been recorded for the 1954 (as the 1953 champion) dinner. Until about 1986 champions did not design the meal: the club served its standard menu.

    1952, as the 1951 champion

    1. Soup / salad Salad [unconfirmed: Fort Worth Magazine 2026]
    2. Main course Filet mignon [unconfirmed: Fort Worth Magazine 2026]; "steak and potatoes" [unconfirmed blog]
    3. Sides Mashed potatoes; green beans [unconfirmed: Fort Worth Magazine 2026]
    4. Dessert Pie, possibly apple pie [unconfirmed: Fort Worth Magazine 2026]
    5. Wine / drinks Coffee [unconfirmed: Fort Worth Magazine 2026]

    Confidence: Unconfirmed. Menu status: Unconfirmed. First dinner, Friday Apr 4, 1952, 7:15 p.m.; 9 champions plus Jones and Roberts attended; Guldahl and Keiser absent. Menu claim only from a Fort Worth Magazine writer's "own research" and an unsourced blog; another 2026 piece says there is "no confirmed record". The Fort Worth Magazine writer (John Henry, Apr 7 2026) cites only "my research" and hedges; Boardroom (2023) says there is "no record of what Hogan chose". Hogan paid the bill, setting the rule that the host pays, and presided over the first four dinners before Byron Nelson took over as emcee (Golf Digest). Reddit commenters on the 1952 dinner photo guess a steak-sauce bottle is on the table (speculation only).

    Records and firsts

    Rows from our record tables that name this player, worded as the tables word them.

    1. 1942 Masters Most runner-up finishes · 4 (Hogan 1942, 1946, 1954, 1955; Nicklaus 1964, 1971, 1977, 1981; Weiskopf 1969, 1972, 1974, 1975) (Ben Hogan; Jack Nicklaus; Tom Weiskopf)
    2. 1942 Masters Most playoffs (player) · 2 (Hogan 1942, 1954 (lost both); Faldo 1989, 1990 (won both); Cabrera 2009 (won), 2013 (lost); Rose 2017, 2025 (lost both)) (Ben Hogan; Nick Faldo; Angel Cabrera; Justin Rose)
    3. — PGA Championship second-biggest final margin · 7 & 6 (Sam Snead d. Walter Burkemo, 1951; Ben Hogan d. Mike Turnesa, 1948)
    4. 1949 Ryder Cup Youngest non-playing captain · 37y 34d

    Sources

    Elsewhere: Wikipedia.

    Every fact on this page comes from Golf Network News data sets compiled in October 2026 (Masters, PGA Championship, The Open, U.S. Women's Open, Ryder Cup, PGA Tour 2024–2026, major host sites, Champions Dinner menus, and the U.S. Open and state rooms). These are the sources those rows cite.

    1. golfcompendium.com: masters winners
    2. golfcompendium.com: us open winners
    3. golfcompendium.com: british open winners
    4. golfcompendium.com: pga championship winners
    5. Wikipedia: Ben Hogan
    6. golfcompendium.com: pga tour career wins
    7. golfcompendium.com: 1942 masters
    8. golfcompendium.com: 1946 masters
    9. golfcompendium.com: 1954 masters
    10. golfcompendium.com: 1955 masters
    11. golfcompendium.com: most 2nd place finishes masters
    12. Wikipedia: Masters Tournament
    13. pga.com: list masters champions
    14. WP: List of American Ryder Cup golfers
    15. rydercup.com — link no longer works (checked October 17, 2026): https://rydercup.com/news-media/usa/ryder-cup-team-usa-past-captains
    16. Golf Compendium
    17. Golf Compendium 1946
    18. The Golf News Net history table (2026)
    19. Today's Golfer purse history
    20. PGA of America 2013 media guide, p. 86
    21. PGA of America winners & venues
    22. Golf Compendium 1948
    23. New England Golf, match-play history
    24. GNN U.S. Open room (champions data)
    25. Wikipedia: 1951 Masters Tournament
    26. golfcompendium.com: 1951 masters tournament
    27. topendsports.com: winners
    28. nbcsports.com: by the numbers jumpsuit numbers for every masters champions caddie
    29. todays-golfer.com: the history of augusta caddies
    30. golfmonthly.com: which caddies have won the most masters
    31. todays-golfer.com: how the masters prize money has changed over the years
    32. golf.com: masters purse masters winners payouts alltime
    33. pgatour.com: what is the cut at the masters tournament augusta national (archived copy; the original link no longer works)
    34. todays-golfer.com: cut rules
    35. golfcompendium.com: 1957 masters
    36. liveabout.com: what are the yardages at augusta national during the masters 1564592
    37. Wikipedia: 1953 Masters Tournament
    38. golfcompendium.com: 1953 masters tournament
    39. R&A 1953
    40. GC 1953
    41. Golf Compendium 1939
    42. Golf Compendium 1940
    43. Golf Compendium 1941
    44. Golf Compendium 1942
    45. GC: 1947 ryder cup
    46. Wikipedia: 1947 Ryder Cup
    47. GC: 1951 ryder cup
    48. Wikipedia: 1951 Ryder Cup
    49. fwtx.com
    50. golfdigest.com: masters what goes on at champions dinner
    51. fwtx.com: somehow i missed this piece of masters golf history ben hoga
    52. Wikipedia: List of Ryder Cup records