An Italian professional golfer has been “badly injured” after reportedly falling several stories down an elevator shaft while in South Africa this week for a golf tournament.
Andrea Pavan, a member of the DP World Tour, was involved in what is being called a “freak accident” that left the golfer with serious injuries necessitating surgery.
The 36-year-old athlete, “fell down an elevator shaft after the doors opened on the floor he was on, but the car itself wasn’t there,” wrote Monday Q Info, a reputable golf account, on X on Thursday, citing “multiple people.”
While Pavan reportedly “was in surgery for hours,” the outlet also shared that sources indicated “the injuries don’t seem to be life-threatening.”
A DP World Tour spokesperson confirmed to Bunkered that Pavan “withdrew due to injury” from the Investec South African Open, but the Tour couldn’t provide further details “due to medical confidentiality.”
The outlet also added that the incident occurred at Pavan’s “private accommodation.”
What injuries did Pavan suffer?
Sources told Golf Channel on Thursday that Pavan fell “three stories” and sustained shoulder and back injuries, citing sources with knowledge of the situation.
A source close to Pavan, who attended Texas A&M with the golf pro, said they believe that he is in “good spirits.”
“By all accounts, he’s in good spirits, thankful to be alive and FaceTiming with his kids,” J.T. Higgins, Pavan’s former college coach, told Golf Channel.
Higgins added that he had not yet spoken to Pavan, “but was being updated on his condition,” per Golf Channel.
Pavan, who was born in Rome, is ranked No. 249 in world heading into this weekend’s action. He has competed at three tournaments so far this season, including the Qatar Masters earlier this month, where he missed the cut.
While he has two wins on the DP World Tour, he hasn’t topped a tournament leaderboard since the 2019 BMW International Open. His other win came at the 2018 D+D Real Czech Masters.