Sports: Tiger's saga reminds of Ben Hogan
Apr. 11—Sadly, Tiger Woods' appearance in the Masters Tournament, where he has previously enjoyed some of his finest days on the PGA tour was cut short due to a flare up of his plantar fasciitis.
It also didn't helped that he was walking the chilly course on his repaired leg that was shattered in a 2021 car crash. We knew going in that the Woods competing in the 2023 Masters wouldn't be the Tiger of days gone by, but golf sometimes allows the greats to have a last hurrah.
Jack Nicklaus, with 18 major tournament wins, lead Tiger by three titles. There was a day when it seemed inevitable that Woods would pass him, but circumstances slowed the younger man's march.
Nicklaus had his last hurrah at the 1986 Masters, when he claimed the green jacket at age 46. When I was a kid, I didn't like the "Golden Bear," because he knocked Arnold Palmer from the top spot among the golfers on the tour. But on that day in 1986, I was cheering him, along with the rest of the country.
Woods is now 47, maybe he can make the magic return for one more historic title, but as the trudged around the course at Augusta, Saturday, he looked like a fading legend and not a future champion.
Woods' struggles reminded me of the story of Texas legend Ben Hogan, a winner of nine majors, who was 34-years-old before he captured his first one.
In 1949, Hogan survived a head-on crash with a Greyhound Bus, near Van Horn, Texas.
The 36-year-old, from Forth Worth, was taken to an El Paso hospital with a double fracture of his pelvis, a fractured collar bone, a broken ankle and a chipped rib.
Hogan was critically injured and remained in a hospital for 59 days. He began his painful road to recovery by walking extensively. Hogan was ready to play again in November.
In 1950, Ben willed his way to the US Open title. Just 16 months after his near fatal car crash.
Hogan trailed Lee Mackey by eight shots after the first round, but fired a 69 in round two to pull within two shots of the lead.
He was still down by two beginning the final round. In a dramatic finish, the Texan was headed into a playoff with Lloyd Mangrum and George Fazio.
Hogan, battling the pain from his recent injuries, was forced to work overtime. He shot a 69, with birdies on the final two holes to win by four shots.
If you want to see the Hollywood version of Ford's heroics, the film is "Follow the Sun." Glen Ford played Hogan in the 1951 flick, which doesn't seem to show up on the schedule as often as "Caddyshack."
