Original Painting:
Hogan’s Valiant Effort 1960 US Open
The 1960 US Open was won by Arnold Palmer.
Ben Hogan nearing the end of his career and so badly wanting to gain his fifth and record-breaking US Open after a heartbreaking playoff defeat to Jack Fleck in 1955, took a chance for victory that ended in a heartbreaking defeat.
With Arnold’s charge in progress, Ben figured he’d need a birdie on the 17th hole at Cherry Hills CC in Denver, Colorado to obtain the record. It turns out that he would not have needed that birdie but here’s how things unfolded. With the pin just beyond the water skirting the front of the green, Ben decided to stick it close given that his putting woes late in his career forced him to take such chances. The ball landed near the pin but sucked back just into the water. With shoe off and with a mighty lash, the ball made the green, but bogey was had and Arnold won.
Shown is the original painting used for the front cover of GOLF magazine commemorating Hogan’s last chance at the US Open, by Lealand R Gustavson (1894-1966), a prolific practitioner of fine art and illustration for many leading publications.