Legacy of golf’s ‘Iron-Willed Legend’ lives on in Dublin

Museum receives new Hogan tie, 5-iron during annual fundraiser

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This 5-iron, used only by Ben Hogan and Tiger Woods, was presented to curator Karen Wright and the Ben Hogan Museum in Dublin Friday. || BRAD KEITH/TheFlashToday.com

By BRAD KEITH

TheFlashToday.com NEWS & SPORTS – FREE & LOCAL

DUBLIN (June 5, 2015) — When eulogizing Ben Hogan following the iconic golfer’s death on July 25, 1997, the New York Times called the Dublin, Texas native golf’s “Iron-Willed Legend.”

How fitting, then, that 18 years later, across the street from a museum honoring Hogan, that a 5-iron was presented to museum curator Karen Wright Friday night, during an event that ensures the golfer’s legacy lives on. The iron has been used by exactly two golfers – Ben Hogan and Tiger Woods.


 

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The annual Ben Hogan Museum fundraiser was a big success Friday, despite the cancelation of the Cow Pasture Classic, normally the marquee event of the weekend, due to weather. The Classic is normally held on the grounds of the old Dublin-De Leon Golf Course, now ranch land owned by Scott and Clay Estes and more intimately known as the Forgotten Fairways.

But the fundraising weekend and the recounting of the legendary Hogan, went on as scheduled.

Golfers from near and far, including a luxury bus from Fort Worth full of members of the Ben Hogan Foundation that is based there, traveled to PAR Country Club for a traditional scramble Friday. A team from the foundation won the event, followed in second by the team from Legends Country Club in Stephenville and in third by a squad put together by longtime beloved Dubliner Willard Man.

The scramble featured the presence of Steve Elkington, a famed retired golf pro who brought along the film crew of his CBS Sports show, ‘Secret Golf,’ and former Australian golf pro and renowned golf course designer Bruce Devlin.


 

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Once the golfing was done, the celebrating really began, with participants and sponsors of the fundraiser converging on the Dublin Rotary Building for a barbecue dinner and stories from those who knew Hogan from his golf days or from building clubs for the legend.

In addition to the 5-iron, Wright was also presented a necktie from Hogan’s infamous collection. A Hogan club engineer said ties were a requirement of Hogan’s employees when he was in the golf club business. The 5-iron and tie will be displayed in the Hogan Museum on East Blackjack Street in downtown Dublin.

Layne Golden and his band provided entertainment at the Friday night ceremony, which featured a special performance of the song ‘Forgotten Fairways,’ about Hogan and the old Dublin-De Leon Golf Course. Wright said the song may be featured in the CBS Sports special, set to air on July 25, the anniversary of Hogan’s death.

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