Hogan And The Divot
Our special report on the US Open today on KYW Newsradio focused on one of the great moments in Open and Merion history -- Ben Hogan's long iron shot that got him into a playoff in 1950 ... a playoff he would win to cap a courageous comeback from that horrific bus accident that nearly took his life.
The amazing part of that story involves the local pro who was following Hogan that day. After that famous shot, as the crowd surged forward and walked up the fairway... Gibby Young walked over and picked up the divot. He took it home, stuck it in the freezer, then on a bookshelf, and left it there for 39 years before sending it to a very surprised Hogan in Fort Worth, Texas.
I met Gibby Young purely by chance at a golf course in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, where he amazed me with the story. I wrote an article for Philadelpia Golf Magazine on the encounter, and you can read it here at TeeItUpPhilly.com.
Meantime, here's a copy of the thank you letter Young received after his unusual parcel found its way to Hogan's desk:
To see a full-size image of the letter, click here:
Tomorrow ... Bobby Jones and the Grand Slam, and the local guy who caddied for him that week at Merion.
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Ed Abrams anchors mornings on KYW Newsradio, and you can hear his Golf Reports there on Fridays and Saturdays. He has also created a pair of websites: www.DealTrackerGolf.com, featuring leads on the best online golf equipment deals… and www.TeeItUpPhilly.com, with video course tours, audio swing tips and local golf deals.
