U.S. Open: Ranking the 25 Most Dominant Performances in History
By Bill Felber
7. Ben Hogan, 1953, Oakmont, -2.98
The argument can be made that Hogan’s 1953 season was the greatest ever by a professional golfer. He won The Masters, the U.S. Open and the British Open, failing to complete the Grand Slam only because scheduling conflicts prevented his entering the PGA. Only Tiger Woods in 2001 has matched Hogan’s record of winning three professional majors in the same year.
He entered only six tournaments all season, and won five of them. His Open win at Oakmont demonstrated Hogan’s greatness.
He grabbed the field’s attention early with a first round 67 that gave him three-stroke lead. His great rival, Sam Snead, responded with a Friday 69 to close within two, and picked up another stroke during Saturday morning’s third round.
But Hogan pulled away during the final 18 Saturday afternoon. Firing a 33 on the back nine and birdying the final two holes, he shot 283 to win by a decisive six strokes over Snead, with Lloyd Mangrum three more strokes behind in third.
Following his British Open victory that July, Hogan was honored with a ticker tape parade through New York City. He is the last golfer to be granted such an honor.