Tiger carrying silent wingman in Master's quest

Tiger Woods electrified the golf world; indeed, the general public yesterday, by shooting 1 under par in the first round of the Master's, just 14 months after his near crippling, potentially fatal car crash.

Should Woods capture his 6th Master's it may still not be the greatest comeback for a golf legend. I still recall hearing back in ’53 about the remarkable comeback of golf great Ben Hogan, who won the ’53 Master’s, U.S. and British Opens four years after a car crash worse than Tiger’s.

Hogan collided head on with a bus, only surviving because he threw himself over his wife next to him. That kept the steering wheel, which penetrated the vacated seat, from killing him instantly. Hogan, 36, suffered a double pelvis fracture, broken collar bone, broken ankle, chipped rib and near fatal blood clots. Doctors told him his walking days were over.

Fifty-nine days later Hogan walked out of the hospital and into his rehabilitation regimen. Seven months later he won the U.S. Open in an 18 hole playoff, the first of 11 tournaments, including 6 Majors he won after the accident.

One spectator to Tiger's heroic quest this weekend won't be visible to Woods. Up in Golf Heaven, Bantam Ben will be coaching him silently on every shot.