Italian golfer Andrea Pavan suffered serious injuries after falling down an elevator shaft in South Africa when he stepped through open doors without realizing the elevator wasn’t there.
Pavan fell three stories and underwent surgery Wednesday night for injuries to his back and shoulder. He had been scheduled to compete in the South African Open, which began Thursday.
“By all accounts, he’s in good spirits, thankful to be alive and FaceTiming with his kids,” said J.T. Higgins, Pavan’s former coach at Texas A&M. Higgins hasn’t spoken directly with Pavan but has received updates on his condition.
The accident occurred near Cape Town where Pavan was staying ahead of the tournament. Golf Channel reported the details based on a text thread with Pavan’s friends on the European tour and former Texas A&M teammates.
The European tour has only confirmed that Pavan withdrew from the South African Open due to injury, citing medical confidentiality policies.
Pavan, 36, is a two-time European tour winner. His most recent victory came in 2019 when he defeated Matt Fitzpatrick in a playoff at the BMW International Open.
