The Upset

“Al Barkow, golf's leading historian and story-teller, unfolds the improbable Ben Hogan–Jack Fleck tale, and the results are as wondrous as the golf itself.” --Peter Kessler Jack Fleck had the slimmest of resumes as a professional tournament golfer. He had never even come close to winning on the PGA Tour, and was in the mere qualifier category when it came to playing in the 1955 U.S. Open at the Olympic Golf Club in San Francisco. Yet Fleck got himself into a playoff with Ben Hogan, one of the greatest players in golf history, for the game's most prestigious title. And when Fleck defeated Hogan, it was not just surprising, it was incredible. This book presents a thrilling play-by-play, shot-by-shot recounting that brings back to life the look and feel of the entire tournament. Relying on first-hand sources, it reveals the players' mental processes as they strategized their game and handled their emotions. And it finally offers a convincing explanation for Fleck's mind-boggling victory, which was considered at the time and remains to this day one of the most unexpected outcomes in all sports history. Al Barkow is a veteran golf reporter, formerly editor-in-chief of both Golf and Golf Illustrated magazines, and recipient of the 2005 PGA Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism. His books include Gettin' to the Dance Floor and Sam: The One and Only Sam Snead.