Ben Hogan's 1 Iron

(1 of 4 Known)

        There is probably no greater iconic image in golf than Ben Hogan hitting the famous 1 iron onto the 18th green at the 1950 U.S. Open at Merion. That very club, a MacGregor Ben Hogan Personal Model 1622, was stolen shortly after the tournament and remained missing for decades until it was discovered by club dealer Bobby Farino and returned to Mr. Hogan. It now resides in the USGA Museum in Far Hills, NJ.

        In the late 1990's, with the opening of the Ben Hogan Exhibit featuring artifacts from the Hogan family, the USGA obtained another MacGregor Ben Hogan 1 iron, a Personal Model 1037, which is believed to have been manufactured in the early 1950's. In 2011, Green Jacket Auctions was privileged to to offer the only other known example - also a 1037 Personal Model, which was thought to be the only MacGregor Ben Hogan 1 iron in public hands.

Until now...

        We are very pleased to offer this lot, a MacGregor Ben Hogan 1 iron 3852 model which was recently discovered on the west coast. Based on the model number, 3852, we can accurately date this club to the early 1940's. Quite significantly, that means this club pre-dates the other 3 known Ben Hogan 1-irons, including the 1950 U.S. Open club. While we'll likely never know which tournaments Hogan may have used this particular club, we can say for certain that this custom club was produced for Ben Hogan in the early 1940's and is the earliest of Ben Hogan's personal 1 irons known to exist. Advanced collectors will note the custom flange design completely different than a production 3852 clubs, and nearly identical to Hogan's later MacGregor 1 irons. The overall condition is excellent, with the club showing light use.

        It would be hard to imagine a more significant single club that would represent the greatest player of golf's golden era than the MacGregor Ben Hogan 1 iron. As there are only 4 examples known, with 2 in museums, and one now unavailable a private collection, this offering could truly be a once in a lifetime opportunity for the advanced collector of Hogan memorabilia. An incredibly rare and desirable item!