A young girl was struck by a golf cart and pinned underneath at the Valspar Championship in Palm Harbor, Florida, on Saturday, March 21. According to the Golf Channel, the child did not sustain any serious injuries in the accident, which happened on Copperhead’s 15th hole. She is expected to be okay.
“She’s OK, thankfully, so that’s all that matters,” Brooks Koepka told reporters. “I know she’s probably a little scared, and I just felt for her at the time,” he continued, adding, “It’s unfortunate, it shouldn’t have happened. But as long as she’s OK — and nothing crazy happened to her, then it will be OK.”
The final round of the Valspar will wrap up on Sunday, March 22.
Brooks Koepka Comforted the Young Girl
Koepka, 35, was one of the people who rushed over to the scene to offer help.
“Brooks Koepka went underneath the ropes to talk to the girl and comfort her,” PGA Tour winner Smylie Kaufman, 34, told the Golf Channel. “She’s going to be okay after medical evaluation,” Kaufman continued, adding, “[It was a] very scary moment … I am sure Brooks Koepka’s head is still spinning a little bit.”
The golf cart was transporting spectators at the time of the accident. A Valspar Championship spokesperson told People magazine that the vehicle was moving very slowly at the time of the incident.
“After a few anxious moments, it was determined that she had not sustained any serious injuries. After her mother apologized, she left on her own with her family, and to our knowledge did not require any further medical assistance beyond that she quickly received on the scene,” the representative said.
“Pros Brooks Koepka and Danny Walker did a commendable job in summoning help and providing comfort and assistance,” they added. “Play was delayed at the hole for about five minutes.”
The final round starts today, with Koepka paired alongside Tony Finau, teeing off at 12:45 p.m. local time.”
The Players Championship Experienced a Scary Incident a Week Prior
Another scary incident took place at the Players Championship one week prior.
According to ESPN, a shooting took place at a Walgreens a short distance from TPC Sawgrass on Friday, March 13. Authorities identified the suspect as Christian Barrios, who allegedly shot two people multiple times, St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick said. In an attempt to evade police, Barrios ran onto the golf course.
Barrios was taken into custody, and, as a precaution, the PGA delayed opening its gates to the public ahead of Saturday’s round. The Guardian reported that the PGA cited “operational considerations” for the delay. Despite the disruption, the professionals teed off as scheduled, and the day proceeded without any further incident.
After a birdie on 17, Cameron Young walked away with an impressive win, hours after the unrelated shooting.
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