Look No Further than World Golf Hall of Famer Ben Hogan
By Dr. Tony Parker, Historian
With Tiger Woods’ return to the Hero World Challenge in December 2017, speculation abounded about his ability to compete at the highest level in golf again. Is he back? Could he win? Could he claim another Major Championship title?
Those are legitimate questions and there have been comments on both sides of the topic from every corner of the golfing world. Jack Nicklaus has said that he could win another major. Others say he cannot possibly reach the same intimidating force that dominated professional golf for over a decade.
Can he win again? Absolutely. At the Farmers Insurance Open, Tiger said he is feeling better than he has in years and that his game is coming together. I believe him. Why? Because I have seen it before in the history of the game.
On February 2, 1949, Ben Hogan – at age 36 – was involved in a near-fatal car accident with a Greyhound bus that left him with a double-fractured pelvis, a fractured collarbone, chipped ribs, a fractured left ankle and dangerous blood clots. He was not expected to walk again, much less play golf. However, Hogan was committed to return to competitive golf and to win. Tiger has that same drive.
Against all odds, within 16 months of the accident, Hogan was back on the golf course and in the winner’s circle. And it wasn’t just any win. It was the 1950 U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. To make things even more difficult for Hogan, he had to win in an 18-hole playoff against former champion Lloyd Mangrum and George Fazio, a win that has since been called the “Miracle at Merion.”
Hogan went on to win the Masters and his third U.S. Open in 1951 along with the World Championship of Golf. Hogan’s career after his return to golf included 11 professional wins, including six Major Championship titles: three U.S. Opens, two Masters Tournaments and The Open Championship.
Can Tiger win another major? Well, if World Golf Hall of Fame Member Ben Hogan is any indication, then we have a lot to look forward to in Tiger’s future.
