There have been some incredible comebacks in the history of golf, both in terms of golfers, and competitions where somebody has seemed down and out before pulling through and winning against the odds.
In this article, we’re looking at some of the best golfing comebacks, and golfers who looked like their career might never be the same again.
In golfing terms, there is always the chance for an outsider to take the field by surprise. If you are able to back the underdog with the bookmakers, then you may even make a profit. There are always gambling markets before tournaments, or even in-play, so if somebody falls behind you may still fancy backing them with the top new bookies.
Henrik Stenson
Stenson will captain the European team at the upcoming Ryder Cup.
This would have looked like a near impossibility once upon a time, this would have looked like a near impossibility. In addition to Stenson being caught up in a financial scam, he had an unfortunate spell where his career took a massive dip.
While the Deutsche Bank Championship was going on back in 2011, Stenson wasn’t involved, he was playing in an amateur tournament at his local club tournament, and he didn’t win.
He needed knee surgery and had to totally change his team and methods in the wake of this – so to see him make such an incredible comeback and go on to win tournaments, becoming such a big contributor to the world of golf is quite amazing.
Ben Hogan
Not many will remember seeing Hogan play any golf. In 1949, he had an accident while out driving in his Cadillac. In fact, Hogan crashed straight into a bus. He was left with broken ribs, facial injuries, a broken pelvis and clavicle, alongside a fractured ankle. The crash was nasty.
At this time, it might have been safe to assume that his career was over, but Hogan would come back with a vengeance. It took him just 60 days to leave the hospital. In 1950, less than a year after the accident happened, he would go on to win the US Open.
Hogan was known as “The Hawk” and his comeback is one of the most incredible stories in sports.
JB Holmes
Another unbelievable comeback story is that of JB Holmes, a man who has also won some tournaments in recent years.
He withdrew from a tournament over a decade ago with vertigo. However, it turned out that it was not vertigo, and that JB was suffering with a problem concerning his brain and his cerebellum.
These are called Chiari malformations, and Holmes would require life-threatening surgery.
Doctors removed a quarter of his skull, replacing it with a titanium plate. Rumour has it that Holmes still has the part of his skull that had to be removed and keeps it at home as a reminder of what he’s been through.
He returned to the tour in the coming years. This may have seemed unlikely, but Holmes achieved it.
This, in itself, would be an incredible story, but JB Holmes’ tale doesn’t stop there. In 2014, he won the Wells Fargo Championship, his first tournament win since the surgery, and his tournament wins don’t stop there, with victories as recently as 2019.
Ken Venturi
Another of the crazy stories that golf has brought us, Ken Venturi had a legendary journey before his passing in 2013.
He learned to play golf because he didn’t have to speak to anyone, because Venturi had a speech issue and a stutter. However, by 1958 he was winning tournaments and doing well for himself.
In the 1960s, Venturi would battle with alcoholism and experienced a serious car accident. During this time, his game would suffer for three trophyless years.
In 1964, one of the most amazing tales in the history of the US Open occurred when Venturi overcame dehydration on the course, and dealt with difficult, hot conditions to win the Open, marking a comeback that nobody could’ve predicted.
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods is a man that divides opinion through golf, but you can’t deny that his is one crazy comeback story.
Woods had nine years where he lost endorsements, got divorced, and was injured to a point where he was no longer able to stand or walk without unbelievable levels of pain. It seemed like his career was over.
Tiger’s injuries led to a huge number of surgeries, and though he had already achieved unbelievable feats in golf, he wanted to return.
In 2019, Woods completed a ridiculous comeback when he won the Masters once again. This was dubbed the “comeback of the decade” by The Guardian.
Unfortunately, Tiger’s car accident since then has led to him being seriously injured once more, and this time his comeback will focus on a return to full health.