Jon Rahm knew his tee shot at the 11th hole of PGA Championship on Saturday was offline. He didn’t know it would hit a fan’s skull with an audible “plonk.”
The fan was not injured and smiled after the golf ball ricocheted off of his head and back into play.
Rahm later said that he told his caddie to “get the Sharpie ready” as he prepared an autograph to ease the pain of a headshot.
“That may not be enough,” caddie Adam Hayes responded, according to Rahm.
The fan appeared in good spirits after receiving a signed glove and a hug from Rahm, who applauded the spectator’s fortitude.
“He took it like a champ,” the 2023 Masters winner said. “I told him, if he was European and grew up playing soccer, football, and he just aimed a little bit better, maybe just get it closer to the hole.”
Rahm bogeyed the hole after a pair of putts.
“It’s a weird moment. Sometimes when that happens and they’re not hurt, they are so excited because they know we are going to go there and just have a five-minute conversation,” he said. “He took it great, and he was a great sport about it.”
Rahm entered Sunday’s final round at six under par, trailing leader Scottie Scheffler by five strokes.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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