The day is Aug. 10, 1947. Ben “The Hawk” Hogan, often touted as the best pure ball striker in history, strode toward the tee on the par-3 fourth hole of the final round at the 1947 Esmeralda Open at Indian Canyon Golf Course in Spokane.
He set his feet and swung. The ball soared, traveling 161 yards to the green and dropped into the hole for an ace.
Though he did not win the tournament, Hogan’s fourth career hole-in-one ignited the crowd, especially a 7-year-old boy. Hogan appreciated the boy’s passion and decided to give him his entire set of clubs after the round concluded.
Today the clubs belong to 17-year-old Central Valley High School varsity golfer Jayden Bommer, who acquired the them in a trade with a fellow Washington-based collector a year ago. He looks at the clubs each time h