Top 10: Oddest injuries in golf
Think golf is a safe game? Think again.
There have been some ludicrous injuries which have sidelined some of golf’s biggest stars over the years. Some of these are so far-fetched you’ll think they were made up…
1. Oliver Wilson breaking his wrist after falling over…during a snowball fight.
The Former Ryder Cupper broke a wrist in late 2012 after he slipped and fell when somebody threw a snowball at him. He had stayed home from a skiing trip to prevent injury. “If I’d known I’d get injured at home might as well have gone skiing,” he tweeted after being sidelined for six weeks.
2. Graeme McDowell’s sleep-walking incident
In an incident he attributed to sleep-walking, Graeme McDowell badly bruised the fingers of his right hand in 2012 when he apparently slammed it in a hotel door in China. “I woke up out of this dream, standing in a hotel-room door, in my boxer shorts, and three seconds later I had the most searing pain in my right hand. I have no idea what happened.“ he said.
3. Thomas Levet breaking his leg celebrating his French Open win
The former European Ryder Cupper, Thomas Levet, fractured his shin after jumping into a pond beside the final green to celebrate winning the French Open in 2011. Levet then missed the Open the same year.
4. Sam Torrance tackles a Yucca plant
The Scottish golfer leapt out of bed and tackled a Yucca plant, believing it to be an intruder, and broke his toe in the process. The incident caused him to miss the singles matches on the final day of the 1993 Ryder Cup at The Belfry. “For months afterwards I was unmercifully ribbed by my colleagues,” he said. “Every time I hit into the trees, someone would say, ’Careful Sammy, it’s a jungle out there!’”
5. Ernie Els ruptures his knee ligaments after going tubing
In 2005 Els jumped aboard an inflatable tube being towed by a speedboat in the Mediterranean and ended up rupturing ligaments in his left knee. He was out for the rest of that season.
6. Robert Garrigus fist pumps his way to an injured shoulder
What’s not to love about this ‘injury’. Garrigus was suffering from a sore shoulder, during the final round of the Tournament of Champions in 2011. The reason? He had overdone the fist pumps the day before after sinking a long eagle putt on the 18th hole the day before. “I hadn’t fist-pumped like that in a long time,” he said.
7. Olazabal breaks hand fighting walls
Jose Maria Olazabal decided to pick a fight with a plucky brick wall after shooting a five-over 75 in his first round at the 1999 US Open. “I was upset with myself,” said Olazabal.
8. Snedeker falls from Segway causing knee injury in China.
The seven-time PGA Tour winner managed to fall off a Segway – yes, the self-balancing standing scooter – at a corporate outing in Shanghai and had to withdraw from a number of events after bruising his shin and damaging his knee. “I felt a pop in my knee and pain,” said Snedeker.
9. Jesper Parnevik breaking his ribs in Segway stunt
It seems that the Segway’s more difficult to use than it seems. Parnevik managed to even catch this injury on his Instagram commenting: “Haha, of all injuries I’v had, this is the most ridiculous!”
Click the image above to see the Swede fail in spectacular fashion.
10. John Daly breaks his ribs stopping his swing
No list would be complete without the Wild Thing. Daly claimed that he injured his rib trying to stop his swing when a female fan attempted to take his picture at the 2007 Honda Classic. Big John later sued tournament organizers over the incident.
EVER HAD AN EMBARRASSING GOLFING INJURY? SHARE YOURS IN THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW
