The connection of Darwinism and golf
Injuries are something concomitant with the game. They might be of diverse nature, mostly involving physical disabilities or malfunctioning of certain areas of the body that can halt the performance of the player.
However, players who have the will power and the determination of combating these injuries ultimately register their names as the icons.
Two prominent sportsmen from golf who are worth mentioning when the Darwinian notion of ‘survival of the fittest’ is applied to golf are Lee Trevino and Ben Hogan.
The degree to which they have been able to exhibit their potentials and abilities of resilience will further be understood when we have a look at the different crests and troughs both of them have gone through during their entire golf career.
After turning a professional golf player in 1930, Ben soon emerged as the greatest golf player after he was able to secure record wins in almost all major events of the game.
These include The Master Tournaments, British Open, US Open and PGA Championship.
Establishing these records at a time when people had little knowledge of the sport was an overwhelmingly profound achievement.
At the same time, maintaining the consistency of a champion and then a legend is something that needs to be hailed and provided proper recognition.
However, just when he thought he was at the apogee of his career after winning 63 professional golf tournaments, his career experienced the ultimate dip in the form of a dangerous and fatal car crash that took place in 1949.
Hogan and his wife Valerie suffered a head-on collision with a Greyhound bus. At the age of 36, the accident left him in a state of completely paralysis.
He suffered fractures in his pelvis, collar bone, left ankle and ribs. Earlier, medical reports revealed that he could experience life-long physical disability.
There were also rumours that he might not be able to walk ever again but time proved all of them wrong, as it had something else in store for Ben.
After a prolonged resting session, his fans were able to catch a glimpse of their heartthrob in 1949, when he resumed his golf activities.
Starting the PGA Tour in 1950, he was still in a position to tie his game against Sam Snead over 72 holes but could not win the match after the 18-hole playoff.
His performance convinced everyone that, for Ben, his life was his club and the golf course, his source of oxygen.
On the flip side, we have the Supermex, Lee Trevino. Even at 72, his humour and jokes are as lively and vibrant as his game, even though his career has also been affected by a couple of serious accidents.
In the 1975 Western Open, Trevino was struck by lightning. Ever since after that incident, he has been suffering from spine troubles.
He underwent many surgeries, involving the removal of his spinal disk. However, his back problems continue to hamper his perfrmance by adversely affecting his game.
However, his style of playing the game and simultaneously enjoying it has led to the birth of a new form of entertainment in the game.
There remains less doubt about the fact that both of them have narrowly escaped death more than once in their life but in terms of rating, Hogan clearly surpasses Trevino.
The degree of perseverance and intensity of will power demonstrated by this legendary player, even after such a mishap will serve as an icon and an irrevocable example for all people who have witnessed similar circumstances in their life.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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