The Ryder Cup took a terrible turn on Friday when a woman was hit in the eye by a golf ball.
Corine Remande traveled from Egypt to see the golf tournament in Paris. She says there was no warning when American golfer Brooks Koepka hit a ball into the crowd. The golf ball flew into her eye, causing severe damage.
She said about the accident:
Doctors told me I had lost the use of that eye. It happened so fast, I didn't feel any pain when I was hit. I didn't feel like the ball had struck my eye and then I felt the blood start to pour. The scan on Friday confirmed a fracture of the right eye-socket and an explosion of the eyeball.
A spokesperson for The Ryder Cup said:
It is distressing to hear that someone might suffer long-term consequences from a ball strike. We have been in communication with the family involved, starting with the immediate on-course treatment and thereafter to provide support, helping with the logistics of repatriation, including providing a transfer for the family from Paris to Lyon. We will continue to offer support for as long as necessary.
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.
Koepka did go to check on the injured woman as she awaited medical attention. She is considering legal action against the tournament for not warning the crowd.
US golfer Brooks Koepka hit a spectator with a tee shot on the first day of the #RyderCup For more news and video… https://t.co/dg6gnVdtn0— Sky News (@Sky News) 1538149560.0
"The scan on Friday confirmed a fracture of the right eye-socket and an explosion of the eyeball." A spectator who… https://t.co/EXFvgnQBA8— BBC Sport (@BBC Sport) 1538433261.0
People were divided as to whether anyone could be blamed.
@BBCSport Maybe if she was watching the damn golf she wouldn't have been hit. The ball travelled over 300 yards, it… https://t.co/Th5xTk5cHn— pete (@pete) 1538438020.0
@NyaJab82 @Jacques1069 @GlobusMaximus @BBCSport How is this anyone’s fault? Accidents happen, if you don’t wanna ge… https://t.co/gzOsHmwwQi— is this thing safe? (@is this thing safe?) 1538478963.0
So much so, in fact, that there was a poll.
The results showed most people believed the spectator was at fault.
Twitter @im_ayobaby
Still people continued to debate.
@im_ayobaby @BBCSport Cramming paying customers into a danger zone for profit....the organisers are failing in thei… https://t.co/zURYuRRcny— James Greenfield (@James Greenfield) 1538433778.0
@JamesPunt @im_ayobaby @BBCSport You’re on the wind up. The same can happen in baseball, football, javelin or any o… https://t.co/FrmUWeVwuz— Monty (@Monty) 1538434112.0
@OfficialDrewMan @JamesPunt @im_ayobaby @BBCSport Javelin? Tell me the last time a spectator got hit by a javelin!?— Javelin Sam (@Javelin Sam) 1538434986.0
Things got a bit off topic, but were brought back around.
@im_ayobaby @BBCSport I'm going to go unpopular and just say it was trash luck, these things happen at sports event… https://t.co/QQzWzEApBW— https://Buttha.垃圾 (@https://Buttha.垃圾) 1538481054.0
@im_ayobaby @BBCSport I agree it’s the spectators fault, but I just wanted to add this, in every sport you take ris… https://t.co/pT7LpKva7c— Keller (@Keller) 1538486981.0
@im_ayobaby @BBCSport Well if she was staring at the ball coming down thats her fault— estrellas (@estrellas) 1538476833.0
@im_ayobaby @BBCSport It is a risk playing and spectating. And riskier if you are buried in your phone.— Phil Thomas (@Phil Thomas) 1538435127.0
@im_ayobaby @BBCSport No one's fault if spectators choose to stand along a fairway like that?— Jason Mott (@Jason Mott) 1538488391.0
For his part, Koepka was deeply saddened by the accident.
https://t.co/EaREtm3Gba— Brooks Koepka (@Brooks Koepka) 1538507624.0