Dunhill spectator hit by wayward golf ball at Kingsbarns club.
A spectator has been injured after being hit by a wayward shot from defending champion Tyrrell Hatton on day one of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
The woman was pictured bleeding from a head wound after the incident which occurred on the 15th hole at Kingsbarns, one of the three courses used for the pro-am event.
She was treated on the course by paramedics before being taken by buggy to the medical centre on site.
It comes less than a week after Corine Remande suffered a serious eye injury after being struck by a tee shot from Brooks Koepka during the opening session of the Ryder Cup at Le Golf National.
Remande, who had travelled to the event with her husband from their home in Egypt, told BBC Sport she could have died if the ball had missed her right eye and hit the side of her head.
“For me, it’s finished. I could not speak with you,” she said. “It’s so nice to be on the golf course, to see the players. I hope that with this terrible accident to improve this kind of safety for the public.
“The doctor said immediately to my husband that it was a very big explosion in my eye and it was impossible for me now to see again with this eye. I don’t know how to live with only one eye. I like walking, sport, going to the gym and playing golf.”
Remande is understood to be planning legal action against Ryder Cup organisers, saying course officials did not give adequate warnings. The European Tour has said it will offer her “support for as long as necessary”.
A Ryder Cup spokesperson added: “Ball strikes are an occasional hazard for spectators, but this kind of incident is extremely rare. We can confirm that ‘fore’ was shouted several times, but also appreciate how hard it can be to know when and where every ball is struck if you are in the crowd.
“We are hugely sympathetic and will do everything we can to support the spectator, insofar as that is possible under very difficult circumstances.” Europe captain Thomas Bjorn said: “It’s terrible, it’s a freak accident that’s happened, and all our thoughts are with her.”
Speaking on Wednesday, Koepka said he is “heartbroken” at the incident and described finding out as “one of the worst days of my life”.
He said: “I hit the golf ball and it’s upsetting. It really is. Just because I hit a golf ball, someone lost the sight in their eye. If you break it down to the heart of it, it’s not a good feeling. Yesterday was probably one of the worst days of my life. I haven’t had too many tragedies in my personal family where there’s been a loss or any kind of tragic accident so I’ve been lucky in that sense.
“I wasn’t told until I got to the course – I’m not the biggest person on social media – so when I got here and had about seven missed calls and 25 text messages I was like: ‘What’s going on? Then I was told the news and obviously I am really heartbroken.”
