Golf Channel’s Golf Films unit announced their 2019 slate of releases on Thursday, a series that will tee off in June with Hogan, a two-part look at the incredible comeback story of golf legend Ben Hogan.
Hogan is famous for being one of the best players of all time, of course, but talked about less now is how he managed to return after suffering severe injuries in a car accident in 1949 to win six more majors, including his legendary 1953 season when he captured the Masters, U.S. Open, and British Open in the same year, which has not been done since.
From Golf Channel’s release:
Hogan: Monday-Tuesday, June 17-18, 9 p.m. ET
Hogan, a two-part biopic on 64-time PGA TOUR winner Ben Hogan chronicles one of the greatest comeback stories in sports history, reflecting on the Texan’s indelible impact on professional golf in spite of a near-fatal automobile accident that put the prime years of his career in serious jeopardy. Coming from humble beginnings, the film examines Hogan’s incredible journey to becoming one of the greatest golfers of all-time, serving as the inspiration for the 1951 motion picture “Follow the Sun”. Being presented with limited commercial interruption by Charles Schwab, Hogan’s two parts – Monday night’s “Perseverance” and Tuesday night’s “Perfection” – will be narrated by Emmy Award-winning actor Kyle Chandler, and be produced for GOLF Films by 13-time Emmy Award winner Israel DeHerrera.
The remainder of the documentary calendar looks like this:
- Hogan: a two-night film on the life and incredible comeback story of Ben Hogan.
- Tiger Woods – Chasing History: a career retrospective on the 81-time PGA TOUR winner, and weighing Woods’ chances at surpassing Sam Snead’s record of 82 wins.
- Tom at Turnberry – The 2009 Open: commemorating the 10-year anniversary of Tom Watson’s unthinkable run (at age 59) at winning a sixth Claret Jug.
- The Road to Royal Portrush: Sky Sports chronicles the significance of The Open’s return to Northern Ireland for the first time in 68 years, and for only the second time ever.
- The Legend of East Lake: reflecting on Bobby Jones and Tom Cousins’ impact on the East Lake (Atlanta) golf landscape and community, and reflecting on Tiger Woods’ unforgettable TOUR Championship victory last September.
- Payne: On the eve of the PGA TOUR’s 20th annual Payne Stewart Award recognition, the updated version of the Emmy-nominated Paynefilm will focus on how the late Stewart’s charismatic spirit is being passed down to future generations of professionals.
It’s a solid lineup for golf fans; the look back at Tom Watson’s run in 2009 should be especially intriguing, given the story and what almost was.
The Road to Royal Portrush, though, could be a sleeper here; the Open Championship hasn’t been held in Northern Ireland since 1951, and if it provides a look at the ways in which golf and politics are intertwined in Ireland and the United Kingdom, it could be very fascinating. Especially if it’s not afraid to address the realities, as Eamon Lynch did very well for Golfweek in April. That’s a story worth exploring, and generally Golf Channel has done a good job doing that with their Golf Films releases.
Hopefully that continues this June.
