Nicklaus, Woods or Hogan? An extremely 'scientific' look at who had golf's most impressive comeback.

[youdamantiger]

I like how Ryan adds an arbitrary category like "Haters" to get Tiger over the top.

 

Look, it was a stunning comeback, but becoming a national punchline was his own doing. The yips and the back fusion are not in the ballpark of Hogan getting hit by a bus, almost dying twice, learning to walk again, and then winning the US Open in a playoff 16 months later.

[bscinstnct]

 

 

 

 

> @RobotDoctor said:

> Spinal fusion is no joke. The problem with the L5/S1 region is sciatica. That's where the sciatic nerve is. That's a very, very painful and debilitating area. I've seen what happens to someone who suffered from this and is is not good.

 

This is why people cant detract from how serious and debilatating TWs injuries were.

 

Many people have personally, first hand or via loved one/acquaintance, experienced the crippling effects of TW condition. Many hope to be able to just walk and function normally without severe pain.

 

Playing PGA Tour golf? Winning a Major?

 

I imagine most of them would say that doesnt seem possible.

[Johnnypenso]

Ben Hogan should have died in 1949, was told he'd never walk again, then was told he'd never play golf again, 16 months later he won the U.S. Open. Ben Hogan was in such severe pain by 1953 he could only enter 5 official PGA tournaments including three majors. He won all 5. If that isn't the greatest comeback in golf history and maybe all of sports history, then the words, "greatest comeback" must have more than one meaning.

[BlackDiamondPar5]

I just don't see how coming back from Hogan's injuries doesn't trump all especially considering the limitations of medical care in that time.

Tiger is certainly a close second considering spinal issues, fusion etc. Chronic nerve pain, such as from disc issues is absolutely the most brutal physical pain one can have (spoken from experience). I'm glad for Tiger recovering from that alone.

[BlackDiamondPar5]

> @RobotDoctor said:

> Spinal fusion is no joke. The problem with the L5/S1 region is sciatica. That's where the sciatic nerve is. That's a very, very painful and debilitating area. I've seen what happens to someone who suffered from this and is is not good.

 

Exactly right. My dad had it and was in awful pain for months waiting for it to correct itself before going under the knife for a good outcome. I herniated a disc doing something stupid and I was in the worse chronic pain ever for months waiting for it to resolve before deciding to go under the knife. You can't sleep, pain killers don't take away the pain, you don't want to move... it's absolute misery and you wonder if life will ever be okay again. I saw an interview with Tiger and he basically said the same thing, describing his pain from playing with a broken tibia as basically a joke compared to his chronic nerve pain from a herniated disc and worried whether he could even live a life again.

[RobotDoctor]

Why does everything have to be compared and one more significant over another? In this case I choose to respect both Mr. Hogan and Tiger Woods and how they both worked through debilitating injuries/chronic pain and reestablished excellence. If we're going to compare then what about Jose Maria Olazabel and his foot condition in the late 90s only to overcome that to win the '99 Masters? Each case is its own unique situation and shouldn't be compared. Just my 2 cents.

[BobMorris]

> @RobotDoctor said:

> What many people don't realize is that Hogan sacrificed his life to save his wife's during that accident by placing his body in front of hers as impact was going to happen. That completely selfless act might have added to the severity of his injuries.

 

I completely agreed with the bulk of your post. As an aside though, by Ben throwing his body across Valerie's, he actually saved his own life, as all accounts of the accident that I've read, the impact of the crash literally pushed the entire steering column through the drivers seat, which would have certainly killed Hogan.

 

EDIT: I can see now that there is a previous post saying as much. I would delete mine if I could, but it won't allow me to.

 

 

[Ferguson]

> @Johnnypenso said:

> Ben Hogan should have died in 1949, was told he'd never walk again, then was told he'd never play golf again, 16 months later he won the U.S. Open. Ben Hogan was in such severe pain by 1953 he could only enter 5 official PGA tournaments including three majors. He won all 5. If that isn't the greatest comeback in golf history and maybe all of sports history, then the words, "greatest comeback" must have more than one meaning.

 

I'm sorry, but it's time for post breakdown:

 

….Ben Hogan should have died in 1949

But he didn’t die.

 

……was told he'd never walk again

How many times in life are people told they’ll never do something and they do it? Plenty.

 

………..then was told he'd never play golf again

But he did play golf again.

 

…………16 months later he won the U.S. Open.

Yes, he did, He recovered from his injuries.

 

 

.........Ben Hogan was in such severe pain by 1953 he could only enter 5 official PGA tournaments including three majors.

The second part is correct. The first part is of written account. “Severe” can mean different things to different people.

 

…………..He won all 5.

Yes he did.

 

 

…………If that isn't the greatest comeback in golf history and maybe all of sports history, then the words, "greatest comeback" must have more than one meaning.

No. It has only one meaning, after you try to overcome your dislike of Tiger.

 

 

 

 

It makes one think – maybe Hogan’s injuries weren’t as bad “as reported” and maybe he was just that good?

 

Maybe he was in such good condition and the doctors did all the right things? We don’t know – we weren’t here.

 

As I said before, books and written word of the past, much the same as social media today, were sometimes embellished.

 

[freddiec]

I saw Tiger live when he was 15 win the US Juniors. A lot of you guys were either in diapers or not born yet.. you wouldn’t believe how good and how long he was at 15 ! Hitting 1 irons 250 on a rope. It was amazing to see. I think Tigers and Hogan’s comeback are close to equal because both had devastating physical problems, especially Hogan after his car accident. It doesn’t matter who’s was better , they were both amazing because of grit and determination.

[Roadking2003]

> @dropkicked said:

> Nicklaus, Woods or Hogan? An extremely 'scientific' look at who had golf's most impressive comeback

These articles always start with the desired answer and work backward to the data needed to support their answer.

This one is no exception.

 

 

 

 

[Birdie Mac]

> @tatertot said:

> > @"Birdie Mac" said:

> > > @tatertot said:

> > > > @tatertot said:

> > > > > @"Birdie Mac" said:

> > > > > > @tatertot said:

> > > > > > > @Ferguson said:

> > > > > > > > @tatertot said:

> > > > > > > > > @Ferguson said:

> > > > > > > > > From Darth: No need to be cynical, Hogan's comeback really was that great.

> > > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > > Better stated, it was great for the time and the given medical technology.

> > > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > > Hogan's injuries would be consistent or typical with an accident of today of the same speed and directional impact. However, his "full-frame" car did not absorb any energy essentially making his injuries worse when compared to the same accident involving a "uni-body" car of today. However, it was just an accident. His body healed and he came back. The doctors and trauma surgeons of today would have handled things differently possibly making Hogan's return even faster.

> > > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > > Tiger's comeback was nothing short of miraculous. He faced challenges in all segments of his life - mental, personal, marital, family, addiction, physical and emotional. That dude was a train wreck.

> > > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > > All things being equal:

> > > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > > If two separate groups of 100 people faced the circumstances - one group Hogan and one group Tiger, I truly believe we would see the following results:

> > > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > > Hogan accident: 75-80% would recover

> > > > > > > > > Tiger issue: 1-3% would recover

> > > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > >

> > > > > > > > If you think 75% of people who went through what Hogan did would have come back to be a professional athlete, you're nuts.

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > It was a car accident, period. It's depiction was embellished given the era in the same manner as a campfire story. The human body is designed to heal.

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > Look at what happened last year when Finau twisted his ankle and everyone freaked out. We had every "web forum doctor" giving his 2 cents worth. In the end was just a twisted ankle and he went on to play really well in that tournament.

> > > > > > > Again, the human body is designed to heal.

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > >

> > > > > >

> > > > > > You realize people were twice as likely to die from a car accident in 1949 as they are today, right? No air bags, no shoulder seatbelts, no crash zones.

> > > > > >

> > > > > > And while you assume Hogan's wreck was "embellished" (take a look at the wreck again), **you assume Tiger's was on the up and up, even though there are photos of him deep sea fishing while he supposedly couldn't walk**.

> > > > > >

> > > > > > This is pathetic ... both men accomplished great things. Why degrade one to build up the other one?

> > > > > Huh? Please share these photos with us. I doubt you can find them.

> > > > >

> > > >

> > > > You mean this one?

> > > > http://www.golfwrx.com/464432/tiger-woods-battles-terrifying-deep-sea-creature-wins/

> > >

> > > And don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Tiger was scamming anyone. I'm saying the media - and mainly the Tigermaniacs - would have you believe he was receiving his last rights several times during 2016-2017.

> > As I thought. Tiger had his spinal fusion surgery in April. The pics you provided were from August. Your assertion was incorrect.

> >

>

> There were Tiger fans - some from this site - certain Tiger was in a hospital bed right up to the time he tweeted his first pitch shot from his back yard in late August, so you can jam your "assertions" right where the flagstick won't fit.

Interesting. We're just having a discussion. We're adults, correct? No need for this foolishness.

 

[Johnnypenso]

> @Ferguson said:

> > @Johnnypenso said:

> > Ben Hogan should have died in 1949, was told he'd never walk again, then was told he'd never play golf again, 16 months later he won the U.S. Open. Ben Hogan was in such severe pain by 1953 he could only enter 5 official PGA tournaments including three majors. He won all 5. If that isn't the greatest comeback in golf history and maybe all of sports history, then the words, "greatest comeback" must have more than one meaning.

>

> I'm sorry, but it's time for post breakdown:

>

> ….Ben Hogan should have died in 1949

> But he didn’t die.

>

> ……was told he'd never walk again

> How many times in life are people told they’ll never do something and they do it? Plenty.

>

> ………..then was told he'd never play golf again

> But he did play golf again.

>

> …………16 months later he won the U.S. Open.

> Yes, he did, He recovered from his injuries.

>

>

> .........Ben Hogan was in such severe pain by 1953 he could only enter 5 official PGA tournaments including three majors.

> The second part is correct. The first part is of written account. “Severe” can mean different things to different people.

>

> …………..He won all 5.

> Yes he did.

>

>

> …………If that isn't the greatest comeback in golf history and maybe all of sports history, then the words, "greatest comeback" must have more than one meaning.

> No. It has only one meaning, after you try to overcome your dislike of Tiger.

>

>

>

>

> It makes one think – maybe Hogan’s injuries weren’t as bad “as reported” and maybe he was just that good?

>

> Maybe he was in such good condition and the doctors did all the right things? We don’t know – we weren’t here.

>

> As I said before, books and written word of the past, much the same as social media today, were sometimes embellished.

>

 

You lost me at "dislike for Tiger". You wear your bias like a badge of honour.

[Choclab]

LMAO at this thread.

 

Hogan didn't die, so could his injuries really have been that bad? Amirite, guyz?

[RobotDoctor]

> @Choclab said:

> LMAO at this thread.

>

> Hogan didn't die, so could his injuries really have been that bad? Amirite, guyz?

 

Are you kidding me? If not how's this for an accident? Remember, this was 1949 without the safety standards mandated in cars today.

 

 

[otw]

Nothing more than a mild fender bender B)

and since writing shows no inflection said in jest

[Choclab]

> @RobotDoctor said:

> Are you kidding me? If not how's this for an accident? Remember, this was 1949 without the safety standards mandated in cars today.

>

'Twas sarcasm, good sir. Some were actually asking if Hogan's injuries were really that serious since, after all, he was able to come back from them. Which is totally absurd.

 

If this were even a close debate -- which to me it isn't -- the tiebreaker should be that most of Tiger's problems were to some degree self-inflicted. Hogan's car wreck wasn't.

 

[RobotDoctor]

> @Choclab said:

> > @RobotDoctor said:

> > Are you kidding me? If not how's this for an accident? Remember, this was 1949 without the safety standards mandated in cars today.

> >

> 'Twas sarcasm, good sir. Some were actually asking if Hogan's injuries were really that serious since, after all, he was able to come back from them. Which is totally absurd.

>

> If this were even a close debate -- which to me it isn't -- the tiebreaker should be that most of Tiger's problems were to some degree self-inflicted. Hogan's car wreck wasn't.

>

 

Apparently I lost my ability to sniff sarcasm in a comment today. :D