Heads up! Heritage volunteer struck by golf ball, visiting doctor happens to be nearby
Spectators regularly joke about it, but few actually expect to get hit by a stray ball while enjoying the action. That’s what happened Sunday at the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing tournament.
Unfortunately for one unidentified Heritage volunteer, he suffered the most unlikely of injuries during Sunday’s final round.
Golfers Correy Conners, Lee Hodges and Sahith Theegala were playing the Harbour Town Golf Links’ 9th hole around 2:15 p.m. Sunday afternoon. It wasn’t clear which golfer was responsible, but one of the pros’ drives accidentally struck a tournament volunteer in the back of the head and sent him to the ground, bleeding from a small abrasion.
Luckily, an Indiana physician was just feet away from the man when the injury occurred and jumped in to help.
“The people out here yelled, ‘ball right!’” said Wes Whitler, a doctor from Seymour, Indiana, who was visiting Hilton Head for the tournament. “Then all of a sudden, we hear a ‘thunk’ and he goes back.”
Whitler said the injury wasn’t severe, but the volunteer was slightly “out of it” immediately after the impact.
“He was not unconscious,” Whitler said. “He was alert, oriented. ... We cleaned (the wound) off a little bit, put some ice on it, and he was able to stand up.”
The volunteer walked off under his own power within minutes to receive treatment and waved to the stands at the 9th green. Play was not delayed, and fans applauded the man as he walked off.
“He was in good spirits,” Whitler told The Island Packet. “We said, ‘Well, you might be able to get a signed ball.’”
This story was originally published April 16, 2023 at 2:51 PM.
