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It would be foolish to suggest golfers shouldn’t be classified as “real” athletes, but I don’t think it would be disrespectful to acknowledge people who take that particular sport seriously don’t typically have to grapple with the dangers you routinely encounter when participating in a slightly more physical pastime.
Many golfers who spend years playing at a competitive level have trouble avoiding the issues that stem from the wear and tear it can take on your body, but there are also many people who’ve been sidelined thanks to setbacks that transpired off of the course.
For example, Dustin Johnson all but said the back injury that knocked him out of a LIV Golf event earlier this year was the result of some, um, adult time with his wife Paulina Gretzky, and the golf world will probably spend decades wondering what would’ve happened if Tiger Woods had never been involved in the car crash that almost claimed his leg.
With that said, there are also plenty of ways to end up out of commission when you’re walking the links—although it’s hard to think of a stranger one than the ailment that recently forced a college golfer to withdraw from the 2023 NCAA Men’s Championship.
According to Golf Week, Gregory Solhaug was representing the University of Oregon at the tournament being held at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona this week but was unable to continue thanks to the brutal fluke that victimized him during the second round.
The outlet reports Solhaug stepped on a rogue tee that not only managed to puncture his shoe but impale his foot, which caused an injury severe enough to knock him out of the remainder of the event.
Thankfully, it doesn’t sound like it was a particularly serious ailment despite the immediate ramifications, and the Ducks were permitted to replace Solhaug with another member of the team for the rest of the tourney.