Miracle at Merion

Miracle at Merion
Author: David Barrett
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2010-10-08
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1628731702

Legendary sportswriter Red Smith characterized Ben Hogan’s comeback from a near-fatal automobile crash in February 1949 as “the most remarkable feat in the history of sports.” Nearly sixty years later, that statement still rings true. The crowning moment of Hogan’s comeback was his dramatic victory in the 1950 U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club near Philadelphia, where his battered legs could barely carry him on the 36-hole final day. Miracle at Merion tells the stirring story of Hogan’s triumph over adversity—the rarely-performed surgery that saved his life, the months of rehabilitation when he couldn’t even hit a golf ball, his stunning return to competition at the Los Angeles Open, and, finally, the U.S. Open triumph that returned him to the pinnacle of the game. While Hogan was severely injured in the accident, fracturing his pelvis, collarbone, rib, and ankle, his life wasn’t in danger until two weeks later when blood clots developed in his leg, necessitating emergency surgery. Hogan didn’t leave the hospital until April and didn’t even touch a golf club until August. It wasn’t until November, more than nine months after the accident, that he was able to go to the range to hit balls. Hogan’s performance at the Los Angeles Open in early January convinced Hollywood to make a movie out of his life and comeback (Follow the Sun, starring Glenn Ford). Five months later, Hogan completed his miraculous comeback by winning the U.S. Open in a riveting 36-hole playoff against Lloyd Mangrum and George Fazio, permanently cementing his legacy as one of the sport’s true legends.

Miracle at Merion

Miracle at Merion
Author: David Barrett
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing Inc.
Total Pages: 321
Release: 2010-10-08
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1616080825

Chronicles the events surrounding Ben Hogan's surprising win at the 1950 US Open at Merion Golf Club, describing the near-fatal automobile accident that almost claimed Hogan's life in 1949, his rehabilitation, return to golf, and how he managed to claim a victory after an eighteen-hole playoff.

Golfing with Dad

Golfing with Dad
Author: David Barrett
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing Inc.
Total Pages: 161
Release: 2011-05-15
Genre: Family & Relationships
ISBN: 1616082534

Collects stories of professional golfers, including Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Christina Kim, and their fathers.

Making the Masters

Making the Masters
Author: David Barrett
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 272
Release: 2012-03-21
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1620873044

Contested the second weekend in April each year since 1934, the Masters is the world’s most prestigious golf tournament and most-watched tournament on television. Tickets are in such demand that even the waiting list is closed, and players value the title above all others. In Making the Masters, award-winning golf writer David Barrett focuses his attention on how the Masters was conceived, how it got off the ground in 1934, and how it fully established itself in 1935. The key figure in the tournament’s creation and success was Bobby Jones, who was a living legend after winning the Grand Slam in 1930 and immediately retiring at the age of twenty-eight. He went on to found Augusta National and sought a high-profile tournament for his new course. But nearly as important was Clifford Roberts, a banker friend of Jones who not only embraced Jones’s vision but became his right-hand man in working to bring that vision to reality. Barrett explores how Jones and Roberts built the Masters from scratch, creating a golf institution embellished by the often surprising details of what that entailed as they were trying to establish a golf club and golf tournament in tough economic times. It also vividly chronicles the events of the 1934 and 1935 Masters, with Gene Sarazen’s spectacular victory in 1935 providing the climax. Set against the backdrop of golf, and America, in the 1930s, the book provides an informative and entertaining read for fans of the Masters and students of golf history.

The Open Question

The Open Question
Author: Peter May
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 221
Release: 2021-05-12
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1538137100

Golfing legend Ben Hogan went to his grave believing he had won a record five US Open titles. The USGA says otherwise, and the controversy has endured for over 75 years. In 1942, the United States Golf Association (USGA) cancelled its four golf tournaments for the duration of World War II. But then it did something different in only that year—it sponsored the Hale-America National Open on the same weekend as the cancelled US Open. The great Ben Hogan won that tournament and went to his grave believing he had therefore won a record five US Open titles. In The Open Question, Peter May turns his attention to this controversial, colorful Hale-America National Open of 1942. While providing an in-depth look at the tournament itself, May champions Hogan’s claim to five US Open titles and debunks some questionable assertions that the tournament was not worthy of a US Open. Set against the backdrop of World War II, May also tells the stories of other professional golfers in the tournament and the impact of the war on all their lives. The USGA has never recognized the Hale-America Tournament as an official US Open and remains firm in its stance. It was a decision that bothered Ben Hogan for the rest of his life. The Open Question shows how dominant Ben Hogan was against some of the biggest names in golf, and reveals why he deserves to be recognized as a five-time US Open winner.

Chasing Greatness

Chasing Greatness
Author: Adam Lazarus
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 415
Release: 2010-05-04
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1101187085

The unforgettable story of the 1973 U.S. Open-and the unknown young golfer who astonished the world... In 1973, a Who's Who of golf's greats gathered at the Oakmont Country Club for the U.S. Open. Among those favored to win were Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. Instead, Johnny Miller-a 26-year-old one­time phenom from San Francisco-astonished the golfing world by edging out the legends and crafting a record-setting 63 to win by a single stroke. Featuring extensive archival and video research and candid interviews with leading golfers of the era, Chasing Greatness beautifully captures one of the unlikeliest victories and dramatic sports triumphs of the past half century. Authors Adam Lazarus and Steve Schlossman also chronicle the careers and the lives of six extraordinary figures during golf's modern-day golden era: Miller, Palmer, Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Tom Weiskopf, and John Schlee.

A Life Well Played

A Life Well Played
Author: Arnold Palmer
Publisher: Macmillan
Total Pages: 273
Release: 2016-10-11
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1250085942

While other golfers have won more tournaments than Arnold Palmer has, no one has won more fans around the world and no player has had a bigger impact on the sport. In fact, Palmer is considered by many to be the most important golfer in history.As a follow-up to his 1999 autobiography, Palmer takes stock of the many experiences of his life, bringing new details and insights to some familiar stories and sharing new ones. Palmer has had tremendous success but is most notable for going about it the right way. Gracious, fair, and a true gentleman, Arnold Palmer is the gold standard of how to conduct yourself. He offers advice and guidance, sharing stories of his career on the course, success in business and the great relationships that give meaning to his life. This book is Palmer's gift to the world - a treasure trove of entertaining anecdotes and timeless wisdom that readers will celebrate and cherish.

Golf's Dream 18s

Golf's Dream 18s
Author: David Barrett
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2009-10-01
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 9780810949829

Golf.

A Swing for Life

A Swing for Life
Author: Nick Faldo
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 535
Release: 2012-11-08
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1471105156

Nick Faldo is considered one of the world's most complete golfers. For years he analysed his game in search of the perfect swing. In this extensive book-the fully updated and revised version of a timeless golf classic-he shares his experience and the skills of that game. Faldo explains the principles behind his flowing, consistent swing-a swing to apply to every club in the bag. He discusses driving strategy, short-game technique, bunker play, and the art of putting, and includes new information on fitness, equipment, his philosophy of golf, new developments in his swing, and more. Supporting these principles are 250 superb photographs that illustrate how to swing, no matter what part of the course you're on. For experienced golfers, Faldo's strategy on "working the ball" will surely fascinate, as will his philosophy of "taking your game to the course." He stresses that practice and confidence go together-and in this essential book, filled with the same drills and exercises he personally uses for tournament preparation, will help readers create their own "swing for life."

Cinderella Story

Cinderella Story
Author: Bill Murray
Publisher: Crown
Total Pages: 223
Release: 2000-05-16
Genre: Humor
ISBN: 0767905229

One of the funniest, most beloved, and most often quoted entertainers in the world tells his tale of Life and Golf--and of somehow surviving both. With his brilliant creation, groundskeeper Carl Spackler, and the outrageous success of the film Caddyshack firmly etched into the American consciousness, Bill Murray and golf have become synonymous. Filled with Murray's trademark deadpan and dead-on humor, Cinderella Story chronicles his love affair with golf from the life lessons he learned as a caddy--"how to smoke, curse, play cards. But more important, when to"--to his escapades on the Pro-Am golf circuit at the Augusta National and as a fan at the Masters, the U.S. Open, and the Western Open. An up-by-the-bootstraps tale of a man, his muse, and our society's fascination with a little white ball, Cinderella Story is one pilgrim's bemused path through the doglegs.