Fort Worth, Texas, 25th July - The world of golf today mourns the passing of one of its greatest exponents of the game. Ben Hogan died at his home in Fort Worth, Texas aged 84. He was without doubt one of the world's greatest golfers and he survived a near fatal car accident in 1949.

Hogan, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, had surgery for cancer on his colon two years ago

He was born William Ben Hogan in Dublin, Texas on 13th August 1912 and when he was nine years old his father, a blacksmith, committed suicide.

His family then moved to Fort Worth where at the Glen Garden Country Club he became a caddie. He lost the caddie championship when he was 15 to a boy of the same age named Byron Nelson.

Two years later at the age of 17 he became a professional golfer and joined the tour when he was 19. He suffered from a hook which hampered his progress and on several occasions was facing financial ruin. It was only when he mastered the art of fading the ball did he begin to make progress and he won his first victory at the Hershey Four Ball in 1938.

This was one of the turning points for one of the most dominating careers in golf.

Hogan's 63 victories is the third all-time to Sam Snead's 81 and Jack Nicklaus' 70.

From being discharged from the US Army in 1945 until the car he was driving hit a coach head-on in 1949 he won 37 tournaments including two PGA Championships and a US Open.

Hogan was known to be dedicated to the game of golf and spent hours on the practice ground. But after his accident he never played more than seven tournaments in a season because of a weakness in his legs. Even so he won 13 tournaments after his accident including six majors.

It was said that his striking of the ball was so precise and exact that players could turn their backs on the practice ground and know when Hogan had hit a ball by the sound it made.

He was constantly in pain everytime he played after 1949 and there were times when his legs were heavily bandaged. He won a play-off like this the day after a gruelling 36-hole final day in the US Open at Merion.

The 1953 British Open at Carnoustie in Scotland was his last major title win ending a run that started in 1946. He later won the 1959 Colonial Invitational and he made his last ever appearance in the same tournament in 1971.

In retirement he ran a successful golf equipment company, Ben Hogan Co. He also gave permission for his name to be used for the Hogan Tour which is now the Nike Tour.

His approach to the game and his courage after the car crash were the focus of a Hollywood film in the 1950s, "Follow The Sun", starring Glen Ford and Ann Baxter.

The world of golf is saddened at the loss of one of its very greatest players.

The funeral service is scheduled for 2.0pm, Tuesday, 29th July at University Christian Church, Fort Worth, Texas with burial at Greenwood Mausoleum.

Facts on Ben Hogan