Ben was born Austin Texas in 1952, attended and played golf at Austin High School and the University of Texas, turning professional in 1973. He was runner up in Major Championships on five occasions before he won The Masters in 1984 and again in 1995. He is regarded as one of the best putters of all time.
In 1999 Ben was the captain of the US Ryder Cup team. At the end of the second days play the US team were losing by 10 - 6 and facing a heavy defeat. He was possibly the only person on the planet who did not see defeat coming! On the Saturday evening an emotional Ben said “I am a great believer in fate and have a good feeling about this”. He inspired his team to the greatest comeback in Ryder Cup history, taking 8½ points from a possible 12 to reach the magic 14½ and a most unlikely victory.
Ben currently plays on The Champions Tour and is a partner in Coore and Crenshaw a company in golf course design. He is married to Julie, they have three children and live in Austin.