The legendary Ben Hogan is undisputedly one of the greatest golfers to have ever played the game.
Hogan won nine majors throughout his illustrious career, as well as an incredible 64 PGA Tour victories. He was also a member of four winning Ryder Cup teams – once as a player, once as a playing captain and twice as a captain.
He is also one of only six men to have won the Grand Slam, with four US Opens to his name, two Masters, two PGA Championships and an Open Championship.
The man from Stephenville, Texas, who passed away in 1997, left an indelible mark on the sport, and his swing is studied closely by up and coming players to this very day.
Hogan simplified the golf swing by repeating his famous mantra: “On the backswing, the order of movement goes like this: hands, arms, shoulders, hips.“
It was a philosophy that served him really well throughout his years playing professionally.
However, the most amazing thing about Hogan was not his golf swing, nor his record of nine major championships and 64 PGA Tour titles.
Ben Hogan escaped near tragedy and returned to win six more majors
In June 1948, Hogan won his third major championship at the US Open at Riviera Country Club, after he beat Jimmy Demaret by two strokes.
He was 35 at the time, and in his absolute prime as a golfer.
However, disaster struck just eight months later, after the car that Hogan was driving collided head-on with a Greyhound bus near Van Horn in Texas.
The American was extremely lucky to escape with his life. It took an hour to free him from the wreckage, and then a further 90 minutes before an ambulance arrived to take him to a hospital.
Hogan spent 59 days in an El Paso hospital, but his recovery was far from straightforward.
Around halfway into his hospital stay, Hogan began to develop blood clots in his lungs. However, just like he did out on the golf course numerous times, he extricated himself from that perilous situation.
This is where the story gets truly unbelievable. If it were not true, you would label it as an unrealistic work of fiction.
Ben Hogan won a major just 16 months after near fatal car crash
Amazingly, just 16 months after his near fatal collision with a Greyhound bus, Hogan won The US Open in June 1950, after emerging victorious from a three-man play-off with George Fazio and Lloyd Mangrum.
Incredibly, he went on to win a further six major championships after his awful car crash – one that easily could have killed him.
The fact that he was able to walk again, let alone win six of the most important championships in the game, was remarkable.
Hogan was clearly an incredibly strong character, both physically and mentally.
Had he not been involved in the horrific car crash in 1948, who knows how many majors and PGA Tour titles he would have won.