Ben Hogan’s 2023 U.S. Open dream ends at local qualifying

Ben Hogan won’t be playing in the U.S. Open this year.

No, not that Ben Hogan, the nine-time major winner who died in 1997.

This Ben Hogan is a 42-year-old from Ohio who two decades ago played professional golf before transitioning into law enforcement and taking a job as a police officer in Southern California. He retired in 2018, and he’s had his amateur status back since 2015.

“In my 12 years, I’ve got a couple lifetimes of stories. I’m OK with leaving,” Hogan told amateurgolf.com five years ago. “That’s actually what got me back into golf.”

Hogan – who isn’t the only other Ben Hogan; there was an Australian by the same name who played collegiately for West Texas A&M back in the mid-2010’s – was among the players teeing it up in a U.S. Open local qualifier on Thursday in Westfield Center, Ohio. While 1-under 69 was good enough for a playoff at Westfield Country Club’s North Course, Hogan finished nine shots back with a 78. He failed to card a birdie while recording five bogeys and a double bogey.

But the positive news? This Hogan will get to try again next year.