Is it a bird? Is it a plane? For one spectator at the WinCo Foods Portland Open it was neither, rather a flying golf club from pro Kevin Stadler which left them with a souvenir to forget – 6 stitches to the head.
Stadler slammed his golf club into the ground in anger after a wayward tee shot, causing the club to snap somewhere near the base of the shaft.
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The metal club head flew into the crowd, where it struck a spectator on the head, causing a gruesome gash. The stricken fan had to be rushed to hospital, eventually needing 6 stitches to the wound.
According to ESPN, Stadlers playing partner Shaun Micheel posted on Facebook about the incident.
He wrote: “I had my head down but the club head flew behind me and hit a spectator to my right. It's been a while since I've seen so much blood. We stayed with him for about 15 minutes before the EMTs arrived.
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“We did our best to keep his [Stadlers] spirits up,” 2003 PGA champion Micheel added. “Each of us in the group learned something today.”
Orlando Pope, a Web.com Tour rules official, told ESPN: “It was a very freakish accident. Kevin is devastated, he had trouble trying to finish the round, he was quite worried and felt so bad.”
However, Twitter users were not so sympathetic towards Stadler, with many suggesting he should receive some type of formal punishment. The identity of the injured spectator is not yet known but they have reportedly been discharged from hospital.
@WebDotComTour If you guys don't suspend Kevin Stadler for a long time (publicly), you don't actually care about growing the game. His feeling bad afterwards doesn't make up for his despicable action.
— tyrith (@tyrithofmuse) August 19, 2018
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? For one spectator at the WinCo Foods Portland Open it was neither, rather a flying golf club from pro Kevin Stadler which left them with a souvenir to forget – 6 stitches to the head.
Stadler slammed his golf club into the ground in anger after a wayward tee shot, causing the club to snap somewhere near the base of the shaft.
READ MORE: Italian ultras want women, wives & girlfriends banned from stadium's sacred space'
The metal club head flew into the crowd, where it struck a spectator on the head, causing a gruesome gash. The stricken fan had to be rushed to hospital, eventually needing 6 stitches to the wound.
According to ESPN, Stadlers playing partner Shaun Micheel posted on Facebook about the incident.
He wrote: “I had my head down but the club head flew behind me and hit a spectator to my right. It's been a while since I've seen so much blood. We stayed with him for about 15 minutes before the EMTs arrived.
READ MORE: I will start again: Sarri to quit smoking while Chelsea boss, but only temporarily
“We did our best to keep his [Stadlers] spirits up,” 2003 PGA champion Micheel added. “Each of us in the group learned something today.”
Orlando Pope, a Web.com Tour rules official, told ESPN: “It was a very freakish accident. Kevin is devastated, he had trouble trying to finish the round, he was quite worried and felt so bad.”
However, Twitter users were not so sympathetic towards Stadler, with many suggesting he should receive some type of formal punishment. The identity of the injured spectator is not yet known but they have reportedly been discharged from hospital.
@WebDotComTour If you guys don't suspend Kevin Stadler for a long time (publicly), you don't actually care about growing the game. His feeling bad afterwards doesn't make up for his despicable action.
— tyrith (@tyrithofmuse) August 19, 2018
