RC Spectator blinded

[Deleted Member 1156]

Jokes about this poor woman's injury are a bit off.

If your comment was aimed at me then I'm afraid you missed the irony of my post. Every time this happens the player involved seems to walk up, hand over a signed glove/ball, say sorry and walk off again like it's no big deal. The ball or glove would probably end up in the bin later anyway!
Action needs to be taken, I don't know what but it's only a matter of time until someone gets killed.

 

[USER1999]

Interesting that at this RC, the spectators were further away than they would normally be, acvording to Macginlays commentary. Also, with narrower fairways, and deeper rough than is the norm. The players were still wayward, and still taking on difficult lines.
Golf would be pretty dull to watch if they all end up having to hit 7i off every tee.

 

[PJ87]

Interesting that at this RC, the spectators were further away than they would normally be, acvording to Macginlays commentary. Also, with narrower fairways, and deeper rough than is the norm. The players were still wayward, and still taking on difficult lines.
Golf would be pretty dull to watch if they all end up having to hit 7i off every tee.

The distance would prob still be longer than most of us get with our drivers lol

 

[USER1999]

The distance would prob still be longer than most of us get with our drivers lol

Sure, but if you draw a radius, 330 yards off the tee, snd ban spectators from standing inside, then you won't get many spectators in.

 

[User62651]

If your comment was aimed at me then I'm afraid you missed the irony of my post. Every time this happens the player involved seems to walk up, hand over a signed glove/ball, say sorry and walk off again like it's no big deal. The ball or glove would probably end up in the bin later anyway!
Action needs to be taken, I don't know what but it's only a matter of time until someone gets killed.

Fair enough, didn't catch the irony when I read it.
Player can't do anything really, thousands of people there, they hold an arm out and caddies help too but if you're 300 yds way in a throng of people you're not going to see or hear any warning gestures/shouts. Fault, if any, lies with the spectator, you protect yourself by not standing at risky spots, being observant and watching how those round about you react to a warning.
Dreadfully unlucky most likely but not that surprising really but a life changing injury. Spectators get hit every pro golf tournament - will evolve I think a bit like skiing - 30 years ago 15% wore helmets, nowaways it's about 95%.

 

[Orikoru]

Has any course ever considered giving out protective headgear to fans?? Maybe it would cost too much to produce? But it would certainly reduce any liability if a fan opted not to wear one and then got hit.

I certainly don't think Koepka should shoulder any blame here. He's only trying to play his golf game, fans or no fans.

 

[OOB]

Only answer is spectator PPE I think. I can see it coming in T20 cricket too.

You can easily lose both balls in the air and not be able to see them coming- alot more difficult in football or rugby to lose the ball in flight.

Like any risk assessment its all about the likelihood of happening it is vs the likelihood of harm

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Has any course ever considered giving out protective headgear to fans?? Maybe it would cost too much to produce? But it would certainly reduce any liability if a fan opted not to wear one and then got hit.

I certainly don't think Koepka should shoulder any blame here. He's only trying to play his golf game, fans or no fans.

Wearing a helmet on a hot day? Not going to happen. This ball hit the lady in the eye, would she need to wear goggles and a helmet? Do they give them out for free and hope they get returned at the end of the day. Do you add £20-30 on a ticket to cover the cost? It's not practical

 

[Orikoru]

Wearing a helmet on a hot day? Not going to happen. This ball hit the lady in the eye, would she need to wear goggles and a helmet? Do they give them out for free and hope they get returned at the end of the day. Do you add £20-30 on a ticket to cover the cost? It's not practical

I'm not talking like a motorbike helmet, meant something more akin to a construction site hard-hat, or even something a little more lightweight than that. I'm just wondering if it's ever been looked into. If people are successfully able to sue for damage to their heads and faces, then surely courses will look into some kind of solution at some point.

I thought maybe temporary bus-shelter type stands at the side, but this might play havoc with some of the golfer's shots if they end up being in the way and have to be moved around.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I'm not talking like a motorbike helmet, meant something more akin to a construction site hard-hat, or even something a little more lightweight than that. I'm just wondering if it's ever been looked into. If people are successfully able to sue for damage to their heads and faces, then surely courses will look into some kind of solution at some point.

I get that, even I didn't imagine a motorbike helmet , but if you think of the US tournaments, ones in the Far East, Dubai, S. Africa, Australia etc and then imagine people standing there with hard hats on all day instead of a sun hat or baseball cap. It would not happen. How uncomfortable would that be in the heat over there.

To my mind, we are spectators, we accept an element of risk when spectating at any hard ball sport. As long as the player / tournament is not negligent, we accept that. I don't see that Koepka was negligent. As others have pointed out with McGinley's commentary, spectators were kept back further than usual to stop them trampling the rough so the course / tournament was not negligent. You can't change the whole way spectators willingly view a sport because of one sad incident.

 

[garyinderry]

Easy fix is to install a speaker system at the 300 yard mark that is activated by a marshall on the tee.

 

[rksquire]

You don't have to ban spectators inside 330 yards, only within the riskiest landing area - say 270 to 330. Of course you can take other clubs off tees, but in general these are less wayward so the risk is less.

A big factor here is also the lesson to be learnt from being wayward in a professional capacity - if Koepka (or DJ, or Rory, or Finau etc.) played this course or similar with similarly penal rough you'd find they wouldn't be swinging for the massive carries as the risk reward pattern changes. Hitting the ball a slap at 350 is fine 90% of the time because you still get club to ball and manufacture a shot to the green - a display of talent, sure, but also not a massive punishment for being offline and reducing the hole to driver / wedge; if you find your ball in 'good' rough and go for the green there's a high chance you fall short.

Anyway, a speaker as someone mentioned is a simple install; PPE to all less so.

Maybe the riskiest areas should simply be signposted as such with an enter at your own risk disclaimer clearly displayed.

 

[Scoobiesnax]

Easy fix is to install a speaker system at the 300 yard mark that is activated by a marshall on the tee.

Genuinely good idea that. I like it - simple and effective. There is enough shouting by the fans so can't see an argument of putting players off from other parts of the course.

 

[Jamesbrown]

I think organisers should add better signage like “enter at your OWN risk” or “warning, landing Zone”.
“Organisers and players not liable for injury”
There’s already disclaimers on tickets.
Extra protection for organisers and players needed.
This would go in the way of a pity settlement to avoid bad press despite not liable.

You accept the risks in any sporting event. When I’ve gone to watch the golf, I’ve always watched for the tee shot or looked for the Marshalls flag on the tee as to which direction it will be going.

 

[PJ87]

What exactly is wrong with the event paying out?! She was badly hurt

This is going to affect her life.. why are people sticking up for the venue? I’m sure they are insured and if not every ticket should have a £1 insurance fee added to it

Jesus this poor lady has lost the use of her eye that’s pretty major...

 

[garyinderry]

Alternatively you have a marshall on a radio who quickly gives a fore shout to another standing at the landing zone who can raise the alarm.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Perhaps as I keep saying, penalise players for their waywardness. Week in week out they spray the balls with no worry for accuracy over length.
For a long time people have been wondering how you protect those classic courses from the ravaging the distances pros can hit the ball, well theirs your answer. Make accuracy and keeping the ball on the fairway the way, and penalise those shots who cross the spectator ropes. It would stop the rip-it without worry drive straight away.

 

[Simbo]

It’s a tragic accident that is in a very low percentage bracket of actually happening but Why don’t professionals have insurance for instances like this? Just like the Golf care adverts we see in magazines etc. We amateurs pay £40 a year or whatever to cover this type of thing. So why don’t pros have it, the chances of them hitting someone is far greater than ours.
Legally I doubt she will do much but tbh, if I was Koepka I’d give her some money, even though it was just an accident, he could afford to give her a reasonable amount of money for a life changing accident.

 

[PJ87]

It’s a tragic accident that is in a very low percentage bracket of actually happening but Why don’t professionals have insurance for instances like this? Just like the Golf care adverts we see in magazines etc. We amateurs pay £40 a year or whatever to cover this type of thing. So why don’t pros have it, the chances of them hitting someone is far greater than ours.
Legally I doubt she will do much but tbh, if I was Koepka I’d give her some money, even though it was just an accident, he could afford to give her a reasonable amount of money for a life changing accident.

I would suspect players are insured. It’s like a tradesmen having liability insurance ..

 

[MegaSteve]

What exactly is wrong with the event paying out?! She was badly hurt

This is going to affect her life.. why are people sticking up for the venue? I’m sure they are insured and if not every ticket should have a £1 insurance fee added to it

Jesus this poor lady has lost the use of her eye that’s pretty major...

There's the thing... She won't be dealing with the venue/organisers she'll be dealing with the insurers...
And, I doubt they'll be paying out unless negligence can be proven...