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A cameraman and staffer at the Rocket Mortgage Classic averted disaster following an errant shot from Ben Griffin on Sunday. The duo was in the crosshairs of a laser beam that obviously got away from the golfer.
The shot luckily missed the two tournament workers, caroming off the wall beyond the green before it could reach the crowd. Golf fans have been quick to comment on the near-miss online.
Griffin took the course on Sunday following three solid rounds of golf in Detroit. He shot -2, -5, and -3 on consecutive days to give himself a chance at a top 20 finish.
His -2 on Sunday wouldn’t allow him to do so, though he still finished in a tie for 33rd place with his -12 for the tournament. And there were certainly some impressive shots on that final round.
Making an eagle look easy 😮💨@BenGriffinGolf played this perfectly @RocketClassic. pic.twitter.com/fzpb1HBV4Q
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 2, 2023
But with the good came the bad, and on one occasion, Griffin was seen lacing a line drive directly at a pair of innocent bystanders. In his defense, it was a tough lie.
His ball sat just off the lip of the bunker, not giving much room for error. Unable to get under the shot, his roped a laser in the direction of a cameraman.
The shot sailed well past the green, though it never got more than 10 feet off the ground. It ricocheted off the wall in between the cameraman and another event worker.
Turned on the golf, this was the first shot I saw 😂 pic.twitter.com/V5s3sKdztH
— Andy Johnson 🍳 (@AndyTFE) July 2, 2023
Fans lost it in the comments section.
“That cameraman skirted death. That thing was coming in Mach 6,” one tweet read.
“I need to see the shot from that camera angle,” another follower quipped.
This fan gave Griffin the benefit of the doubt, saying, “That was on purpose. Wish I had a backstop for those. It’s not so bad.”
Imagine turning on the TV (or streaming service in Sunday’s case), and this being the first thing you saw.
“Oh PGA Tour is on! These guys are the best in the wor-…..”
— Sean (@igotyourleads) July 2, 2023
You really have to give it up for the cameraman who didn’t move from behind his tripod despite seeing the missile headed his way.
Luckily, Ben Griffin’s ball managed to avoid everyone involved.