It's rather easy to argue that Ben Hogan's accomplishment of winning three major golf championships in one calendar year is a little underrated among general sports fans.
There's been talk of a "grand slam" in golf for about 100 years. Bobby Jones won the U.S. Open and British Open along with the U.S. Amateur and the British Amateur in 1930. Those were the big four events of the day, as the Masters and PGA events did not exist. The closest anyone has come to that is Tiger Woods, who won the modern-day Big Four tournaments within a year, although it spilled over from 2000 to 2001. As he put it, he's the only person to hold all four trophies at the same time.
But Ben Hogan went three for three, which was rather good under the circumstances. He took the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open in 1953. No one has done that either.
Author Ed Gruver does his best to fill in some gaps for those who don't know that much achievement. He's written a book called "The Wee Ice Mon Cometh" about Hogan's biggest year. It's a tougher assignment that you might think.
Gruver's job at the start is to tell what made Hogan's year all the more remarkable. He had already established himself as one of the world's best players after World War II. Then Hogan was involved in a horrible auto accident in which he simply lucky to be alive. His legs were damaged quite severely, and it seemed doubtful that he'd ever walk normally again ... let along play golf. But "Bantam Ben" (he wasn't the biggest of players) was as determined as he was good, and he worked hard enough to be back on teh course in November 1949. Hogan returned to the tour in 1950, and lost in a playoff to Sam Snead in his first event back. (A movie was made about Hogan's remarkable comeback called "Follow the Sun.")
Hogan went on to win the 1950 U.S. Open, and he remained a top player even though his legs limited his scheduled greatly. Hogan simply centered his preparation on top events. He peaked at 1953, but never won another major after that. Ben couldn't play in the PGA that year. The match-play format would have been too draining on his legs, and the dates of that event and the British Open essentially conflicted. By the way, the title comes from a nickname that Hogan received while in Scotland from the fans who thought the smallish but determined player's performance was more than admirable.
It is not easy to bring a sporting event back to life after 70+ years, and Gruver has a couple of problems in doing so - one of which couldn't be helped. Those watching pro golf today are familiar with the way the players are sent out on to the course. The leaders on Saturday and Sunday go last. That means the scores are coming in roughly together.
But back in the "old days," the order was the order. At one point in the final round of the British Open, Hogan had to ask a radio reporter how the rest of the field was doing. The answer, of course, was good news for him. They didn't worry about television in 1953, but the old system certainly took away some of the drama. The round-by-round descriptions go by rather quickly.
The other problem centers on a lack of material. This checks in at a bit more than 200 pages of type, and it feels a bit padded. The sections written about Hogan and his play are fine. But Gruver fills in the rest with hole-by-hole descriptions of each of the three courses hosting championships that year (Augusta, Oakmont and Carnoustie). The major titles on those courses and the major championships they hosted also get a review here, even if they aren't particularly relevant to the story. Then there are mini-biographies of the other contenders. Most have been forgotten, of course, and so have many of the their tournaments scores also don't carry any weight now. (Can't say I knew about a Buffalo Open in the late 1930s, though.)
Under the circumstances, it's not easy to make the story flow too smoothly. There are portions here that don't carry much interest along, and some points are hammered a few too many times. (Yes, I realize that Carnoustie is a tough course, but ...) Certainly some are going to find themselves skimming some portions of the book in search of more lively material. The author does close well with some good opinions on how the three "slams" compare from a modern perspective. Even if the circumstances for Hogan's sweep are a bit different, he receives full credit by all for doing it considering his physical state at the time.
It's tough to think that "Wee Ice Mon Cometh" is going to lure a great many people into its pages. But it at least should satisfy those who'd like a quick lesson in golf history concerning a great accomplishment in the sport.
Three stars
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