Man on a Scooter

Ben Hogan's weight was up from a sinewy 140 to a flabby 155. After ten months of convalescence, the spring was gone from his step and the steel from his wrists. But a fortnight ago, for the first time since his near-fatal automobile accident last winter (TIME, Feb. 14), golf's Blazin' Ben began to take a few practice swings. Then he played nine holes over Fort Worth's Colonial Country Club course, using a motor scooter to catch up with the ball each time he belted one.

Only the determined chin reminded friends of the Hogan who terrorized big-time golf last year and was voted 1948's golfer of the year. When he felt stronger, Ben went a full 18 holes. Last week word got around that he had fired a one-over-par 71 and followed it next day with a 72. Said Ben brusquely: "Ridiculous! What I'm playing and the game of golf are two different things. Besides, I wasn't even scoring."

At 37, Ben Hogan knew better than most what a long road it was to tournament form and toughness. Although he said he was content simply to "hit a few balls and ride my scooter," he was not the man to play golf just for the fun of it. With visions of a return to the tournament trail, Blazin' Ben, still the determined perfectionist, kept dropping more balls whenever his first shots dissatisfied him. On the practice tee last week he worked with the same persistence that once put calluses as big as quarters on his left hand. For anybody with less than Ben Hogan's determination, a comeback would be nothing but a dream. For patient Ben, hard work and careful practice might make the dream come true.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.