The Longest Shot
Jack Fleck, Ben Hogan, and Pro Golf's Greatest Upset at the 1955 U.S. Open
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4.0 • 17 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
The Longest Shot tells the inspirational story of the unknown golfer from Iowa who beat his idol in the 1955 U.S. Open.
With the overlooked Jack Fleck still playing the course, NBC-TV proclaimed that the legendary Ben Hogan had won his record fifth U.S. Open and signed off from San Francisco. Undaunted, the forgotten Iowan rallied to overcome a nine-shot deficit over the last three rounds—still a U.S. Open record—and made a pressure-packed putt to tie Hogan on the final hole of regulation play. The two men then squared off in a tense, 18-hole playoff from which Fleck emerged victorious in one of the most startling upsets in sports history.
On par with the classic golf narratives of Mark Frost and John Feinstein, The Longest Shot will surprise and delight fans as they trace the improbable journey of an unheralded former caddie who played his way into the record books by out-dueling the sport's greatest champion of his time.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
After suffering a "near fatal automobile accident" in 1949, Ben Hogan completed what "some considered to be the greatest comeback in the history of sports" and entered the 1955 U.S. Open as the favorite to win a record-setting fifth title. Jack Fleck's goal was simply to "make it as a full-time player on the PGA tour." Golf blogger Sagebiel resurrects the suspenseful final round of the 1955 U.S. Open, and the playoff between the golfing great and the unknown journeyman who defeated his idol. Sagebiel sets the stage with the life stories of both of the former caddies who played when "grass-challenged courses and Spartan facilities were the norm for tour golf" and winnings sometimes were not enough to cover caddie fees. The combination of a taut narrative and Sagebiel's golf knowledge make the story accessible to general readers. Photos.
