Who had the best year as a golfer? Bobby Jones in 1930? Tiger Woods in 1999-2000? Byron Nelson in 1945?
I think I'm going with Ben Hogan in 1953.
Six tournaments entered. 5 wins - 3 of them majors.
He won at Augusta by breaking the aggregate record for the Masters by five strokes that year.
He won the US Open at one of the hardest venues (Oakmont) - playing 36 holes on the last day on legs that caused him constant pain from his near-fatal car crash in 1949.
He won the Open Championship at Carnoustie - generally acknowledged to be the most difficult course in the Open rota. And he set a scoring record in the process .
He wasn't able to play in the PGA Championship that year because it was held the same time as the Open Championship. Also, Hogan didn't play the PGA after his accident - probably because he felt his legs might not hold up over the match play format.
It's a shame Hogan didn't get a chance to play in a modern-style PGA format that year - I'm pretty certain he would've won that too. The fact that he came back from such a devastating injury to completely dominate the tour a few years later is probably the greatest comeback story in all of sport.
What's your favorite year?
I think I'm going with Ben Hogan in 1953.
Six tournaments entered. 5 wins - 3 of them majors.
He won at Augusta by breaking the aggregate record for the Masters by five strokes that year.
He won the US Open at one of the hardest venues (Oakmont) - playing 36 holes on the last day on legs that caused him constant pain from his near-fatal car crash in 1949.
He won the Open Championship at Carnoustie - generally acknowledged to be the most difficult course in the Open rota. And he set a scoring record in the process .
He wasn't able to play in the PGA Championship that year because it was held the same time as the Open Championship. Also, Hogan didn't play the PGA after his accident - probably because he felt his legs might not hold up over the match play format.
It's a shame Hogan didn't get a chance to play in a modern-style PGA format that year - I'm pretty certain he would've won that too. The fact that he came back from such a devastating injury to completely dominate the tour a few years later is probably the greatest comeback story in all of sport.
What's your favorite year?