"Ben Hogan, An American Life" Wins 2004 USGA Book Award


May 12, 2005
E-mail address: mediarelations@usga.org

Far Hills, N.J. - James Dodson's book "Ben Hogan, An American Life," has been named the winner of the United States Golf Association's 2004 International Book Award.

Dodson has written five other golf-related books.

Established in 1987 by the USGA's Museum and Archives, the USGA International Book Award recognizes and honors outstanding contributions to golf literature. Eligible works include full-length books on a topic related to golf. All books must be written in English and published in the year they are to be considered for the award.

Dodson, 52, has previously written five other books on golf and has been a contributor to Golf Magazine from 1985 to the present. Published in June 2004, "Ben Hogan, An American Life," offers an in-depth biographic history of one of the game's greatest players. Hogan won four U.S. Opens, and in 1953 he captured all three professional majors that he entered (he did not compete in the PGA Championship). Dodson explains the inner workings of Hogan's life, and the guarded man few people knew.

A 1975 graduate of East Carolina University, Dodson has received numerous literary awards for his work, including seven from the Golf Writers Association of America and five from the International Network of Golf. "Final Rounds," published in 1996, earned him the Golf Book of the Year Award from the International Network of Golf.

Previous winners of the International Book Award include Al Barkow (1987); Rhonda Glenn (1992); Davis Love III (1997); Bradley S. Klein (2001) and Mark Frost (2002). Phil Pilley is the only two-time recipient.