During Friday’s second round of the PGA Tour’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, a frightening incident occurred. The caddie for an amateur player, Geoff Couch, , fell on the course as the Tour pros Beau Hossler, Max McGrevy, and country singer Lukas Nielson were playing the 11th.
The caddie was given CPR immediately on the spot and was taken to a local hospital. He is still alive, but no further information was available as of Saturday morning.
Todd Lewis from Golf Channel reported that the person was likely to survive.
Officials from the PGA Tour encourage Hossler to play, but McGreevy said that they were too shaken after the caddie was taken away. After receiving assurances that the caddie was safe, other groups started playing through. Hossler & McGreevy returned back to the course just two hours later.
Both finished the 11th hole on par and both bogeyed it. Hossler shot 72, McGreevy shot 75 and Hossler shot 72.
Although such incidents are rare, every PGA Tour event provides first-aid stations and first response personnel within a short distance of each spot on the course. Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass has six first-aid stations and a main medical facility. There is also an entire committee of volunteers who are doctors, nurses, and EMTs.
There have been other notable instances of caddies or players becoming ill at professional golf tournaments.
