The greatest golfers of all time
Who are the greatest golfers of all time? National Club Golfer takes a look at some of greatest golfers that have played the game
Ben Hogan
Majors
Masters – 1951, 1953
US Open – 1948, 1950, 1951, 1953
The Open – 1948
PGA Championship – 1946, 1953
Ben Hogan is widely regarded as one of the best players in the history of the game. He turned pro in 1930 at the age of 17 but didn’t win his first event until 1940 when he won three consecutive tournaments in North Carolina.
The American went on to win a total of 69 professional titles, including nine major titles. On the PGA Tour, Hogan is fourth on the all time wins list, behind Sam Snead, Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus. In one season the Texan won an impressive 13 PGA Tour events, only Byron Nelson has more victories in a single season.
Hogan became just the second player behind Gene Sarazen to complete the career Grand Slam after he won The Open in 1953. That Open was the only one that Hogan entered and was also the year that Hogan won the first three majors of the year. This feat has never been matched. He would have had the chance to win all four majors in one season had the Open and the PGA not clashed in the calendar.
He had a profound influence on the swing theory, creating a series of videos that demonstrated the ‘perfect golf swing’. He was also known for his prodigious ball striking, most famously in the 1950 US Open, when on the 72nd hole he hit a 1-iron to 40 feet and two-putted for par to force his way into a play-off, which he went on to win.
Tom Irwin
Tom is a lifetime golfer, now over 30 years playing the game. 2023 marks 10 years in golf publishing and he is still holding down a + handicap at Alwoodley in Leeds. He has played over 600 golf courses, and has been a member of at least four including his first love Louth, in Lincolnshire. Tom likes unbranded clothing, natural fibres, and pencil bags. Seacroft in Lincolnshire is where it starts and ends.
