Tiger Woods already a comeback story for the ages

Tiger Woods finished near the bottom of the Masters leaderboard Sunday, but even teeing up this week at Augusta National puts the 15-time major winner among a select band of legendary sports comebacks. Woods worked the golf world into a frenzy on Thursday when he carded a one-under par 71 in his first round of competitive golf since a car crash that nearly resulted in doctors amputating his right leg just 14 months ago.

The 46-year-old would make the cut but four rounds on the undulating layout proved too much as Woods closed with six-over 78s on Saturday and Sunday, his worst-ever scores at Augusta National that left him 23 shots back of winner Scottie Scheffler. For golf fans the Woods saga has conjured the memory of Ben Hogan, one of the sport's all-time greats.

Hogan suffered multiple injuries in a near-fatal car accident in 1949 that left doctors fearing he might never walk again - but went on to win six majors. "Obviously, he didn't have the technology that we have now, but the amount of hot tubs that he would have to take pre-round, post-round, in the middle of the night, just to be able to get up and swing a club the next day, I certainly appreciate that," Woods told reporters in Augusta.

"If I had to go through with my accident, given what had happened to me, during his era, I wouldn't be playing this week, that's for sure." Hogan is one of only a handful of sporting star names fans could expect to hear uttered in the same conversation as Woods' remarkable return. Another is former tennis number one Monica Seles, who was unable to compete for more than two years after an on-court knife attack, but came back to win the Australian Open in 1996.