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TOUR REPORT
OB SPORTS GOLF & LEISURE
x
SUMMER 2016
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obsports.com
RULE YOURSELF.
I WILL.
YOU ARE
THE SUM
OF ALL YOUR
TRAINING.
JORDAN SPIETH
MAJOR CHAMPION
1950 U.S. OPEN
WINNER: Ben Hogan
Sixteen months after his near-fatal
auto accident, Ben Hogan returned to
U.S. Open competition at Merion, out-
side Philadelphia. Limping through
the 36-hole final day on weakened
legs that could barely support him,
Hogan somehow ripped a 1-iron to
Merion's 72nd green, two putted to
make a three-way playoff, then forged
a 69 the next day to win it all. The
occasion is commemorated by the
most iconic golf photo of all time,
Hy Peskin's shot for Life magazine
showing Hogan from behind in per-
fect form, striking his famous 1-iron.
2002 U.S. SENIOR OPEN
WINNER: Don Pooley
Likely the most exciting, well-
played U.S. Senior Open duel took
place in 2002 at Caves Valley, near Bal-
timore, with protagonists Don Pooley
and Tom Watson going five extra
holes before Pooley birdied from 10
feet to take the title. With just two
PGA Tour wins and little known out-
side of Tucson, Pooley had to qualify
just to play in the event. Then he
turned into an Arizona Wildcat. He
shot 63 in the third round, withstood
five back-nine birdies from Watson in
the fourth round and made clutch par-
saves of his own on the final three
holes of regulation. Both men had
prime opportunities to clinch earlier
in the playoff, but in the end, after 23
holes and five-and-a-half hours, Poo-
ley pulled through.
1954 U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN
WINNER: Babe Didrikson Zaharias
Fifteen months after undergoing a
colostomy operation to treat colon
cancer, 43-year-old Babe Zaharias won
her third U.S. Women's Open – by an
unfathomable 12 shots. Doctors told
her she might not ever play golf again,
but after record-setting rounds of 72-
71 at Salem Country Club outside of
Boston, the Babe was practically danc-
ing, as she led by seven. She could
barely stand while making the walk
over her final three holes, closing
bogey-bogey-bogey, but was greeted
with thunderous ovations all the
same. The greatest sportswoman ever
died one year later but she left us with
an unforgettable exclamation point.
