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.
