Ryder Cup 2018: Spectator 'loses sight' after being hit by Brooks Koepka tee shot - BBC Sport
A spectator hit by a Brooks Koepka tee shot at the Ryder Cup says she has lost sight in her right eye and is considering legal action, AFP reports.
Last updated on .From the section Golf

A spectator hit by a Brooks Koepka tee shot at the Ryder Cup says she has lost sight in her right eye and is considering legal action, AFP reports.

The incident happened on the opening day of the event when the American's drive on the par-four sixth hole veered off course, striking 49-year-old Corine Remande, who had travelled from Egypt.

"Doctors told me I had lost the use of that eye," she told AFP.

Mrs Remande said the reason for legal action was to help cover medical bills.

She added: "It happened so fast, I didn't feel any pain when I was hit.

"I didn't feel like the ball had struck my eye and then I felt the blood start to pour. The scan on Friday confirmed a fracture of the right eye-socket and an explosion of the eyeball."
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Mrs Remande also criticised the Paris tournament organisers for "not making contact" after the incident to find out how she was. She also claims there was "no warning shout from the course official when the ball was heading towards the crowd".

A Ryder Cup spokesperson told the BBC: "It is distressing to hear that someone might suffer long-term consequences from a ball strike.

"We have been in communication with the family involved, starting with the immediate on-course treatment and thereafter to provide support, helping with the logistics of repatriation, including providing a transfer for the family from Paris to Lyon. We will continue to offer support for as long as necessary.

"Ball strikes are an occasional hazard for spectators but this kind of incident is extremely rare.

"We can confirm that 'fore' was shouted several times but also appreciate how hard it can be to know when and where every ball is struck if you are in the crowd.

"We are hugely sympathetic and will do everything we can to support the spectator, insofar as that is possible under very difficult circumstances."

Mrs Remande did praise three-time major winner Koepka, who went over to see how she was. She said she downplayed the incident so that the golfer "would stay concentrated".

"It looked like it hurt," the 28-year-old said afterwards.

He added: "It's hard to control a golf ball, especially for 300 yards, and a lot of times the fans are close to the fairway.

"You can yell 'fore' but it doesn't matter from 300 yards, you can't hear it."

Europe's winning Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn said: "It's terrible, it's a freak accident that's happened, and all our thoughts are with her."

There are an average 12,400 golf-related injuries which require hospital treatment each year in the UK alone, according to specialist insurance company Golf Care.

Spectating at golf tournaments can be a hazardous business. Top players are not as precise as you might expect and errant tee shots occasionally have nowhere to go other than into packed galleries.

These misdirected missiles have the speed to do plenty of damage but more often than not injuries are limited to cuts and bruises. Players usually offer a signed glove to the victim, as if that will ease the pain.

In more serious incidents, injuries can be very unsettling for the players involved. The majority sound a warning cry of "fore" but there are some who appear content to allow fans to be a barrier to prevent their balls from flying into deeper trouble and remain silent in the wake of wayward blows.