Generally speaking, you don’t think of golf as a “contact” sport. That changed a little bit on Thursday, when an errant tee shot from Adam Scott struck an unsuspecting fan in the back of the head during the first round of the Open Championship.
A ball off the club of Scott made its way into the crowd on the 18th hole. Although the pro yelled “fore,” it wasn’t enough time for Christopher Ineson to dodge the missile.
Ineson, attending this year’s Open Championship with a friend, was struck in the head, causing a gash and some bleeding. The contact was so forceful that it sent the individual to the ground.
“It was a drive off the 18th, full toss, it didn’t bounce,” Ineson told the Daily Telegraph.
“I heard the shout of ‘fore’ and everyone ducked. I saw my mate duck and then it hit me right on the back of the head.”
After realizing his tee shot struck a fan, Scott walked over and apologized to Ineson. He also provided the injured spectator an autographed golf glove.
There’s no question Ineson experience some significant pain when getting struck by the ball. But the good news? He doesn’t have a concussion.
“I saw the medics and I had to lie down on a buggy and be driven across the course which is incredibly embarrassing,” he said. “There’s no concussion. It’s very sore, but you would have to be incredibly unlucky for it to be seriously injured.”
Even the professionals hit an errant shot every now and then. If you’re attending a golf tournament, you have to keep your head on a swivel.
Scott ended the first round carding a 1-over-par 72 and sits in a tie for 47th.
Open Championship demoralizes Justin Thomas
Given the option, Justin Thomas might actually trade places with the fan who was struck by a golf ball on Thursday. The two time PGA Championship winner struggled mightily in his first round of the Open Championship Thursday.
Thomas carded an 11-over-par 82 to close out the opening round. He sits in a tie for second-to-last place with Adri Arnaus and Jorge Campillo.
The score, alone, is ugly. But what might’ve been uglier was how Thomas finished his round on Thursday. He scored a quadruple bogey after going on a bunker adventure on the 18th hole.
Unless Thomas has some magic up his sleeve, he probably will miss the weekend cut for the Open Championship. It’s a disappointing way to end the circuit of majors in 2023 for the two-time major winner.
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