 Defending champion Ben Hogan did not play in any of the majors during the 1949 season, following a near-fatal automobile accident in west Texas in early February.In 1948, he won two majors, led the tour in money and wins (ten), and was player of the year; he had won two events in January 1949 (Pebble Beach, Long Beach), with a playoff runner-up in a third (Phoenix).Although Hogan returned to the tour in 1950 on a limited basis and won six more majors (nine total), he did not enter the PGA Championship again until age 48 in 1960, its third year as a stroke play event.