Jon Rahm got a very unlucky bounce on Saturday afternoon, and it came at a price for a fan sitting near the 11th green at Quail Hollow Club in North Carolina.
Rahm’s approach shot at the par-4 in the third round of the PGA Championship flared well left of the green. Instead of just landing in the thick rough, though, Rahm’s ball actually appeared to hit a fan directly in the head. The ball drilled a fan who was crouched down, clearly trying to take cover from the ball, and then ricocheted over to the other edge of the green after making a noise that left the CBS broadcast crew stunned.
Rahm went over to check on the fan after the fact, and gave him a hug and a signed ball. Thankfully, the fan appeared to be OK and all is well. Rahm then had to chip back onto the green, and he two-putted for bogey. That dropped him back to 4-under.
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After the round, Rahm described his interaction with the fan, who was apparently in good spirits about the incident.
The shot, though far more dangerous, was reminiscent of something that Jhonattan Vegas did on Friday. Vegas, who took a two-shot lead into the weekend, bounced his tee shot off a rake at the par-3 17th and ended up landing safely on the putting surface.
The key difference, though, is that Vegas both only hit a rake and he saved his par. No fan was injured in that sequence.
Despite the incident at the 11th, and the resulting bogey, Rahm finished with a strong round of 67 on the day to move him to 6-under for the tournament. That puts him within striking distance of the lead going into Sunday’s final round.
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Regardless, things could have been much worse for Rahm. And, more importantly, that fan is still in good shape.
