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A group of PGA golfers had a unique and unexpected distraction while playing in an event on Thursday. In the opening round of the Mexico Open, Erik van Rooyen was swarmed by bees on the golf course.
Van Rooyen, his caddie, and the rest of the players in his group were seen ducking for cover to avoid the pests. Fans online were quick to post reactions to the bizarre scene.
While making their way down the course on the 10th hole, golfers were presented with an absolutely horrifying situation. It had nothing to do with the difficulty of play at Vidanta Vallarta, or the weather conditions on the links.
Rather, they were attacked by an unexpected nuisance while attempting to line up their shots.
As Erik van Rooyen got ready to take his second shot, cameras caught him falling to the grass. At first, commentators were unsure of the scene unfolding in front of them.
“Uh oh, what’s happening here?” one announcer asks after seeing the pro duck for cover. “What was that?”
A view from the course would soon key viewers in.
“I have never seen anything like that.”
A swarm of bees was probably not something @FredVR_ and crew saw coming @MexicoOpenGolf 😅 pic.twitter.com/4RjzysQ5qx
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 27, 2023
“They’re being swarmed right now with bees… I’ve never seen this before,” he continued, before his co-host said, “That’s the most unusual thing I’ve ever seen on the golf course.”
Fans online were quick to react to the bizarre incident as they posted their responses to the clip in the comments section.
One follower wrote, “Duck and cover!” Another person said, “Stop, drop, and bee.”
— Schmecsmix (@schmecsmix) April 27, 2023
— Phil H (@FIGJAM_PH) April 27, 2023
Stop drop and roll always pic.twitter.com/wVXOEQDo04
— @johnybegood (@AussieJohn23) April 27, 2023
Erik van Rooyen responded to the bees on the golf course after his round, saying, “I just saw them here and I just told my caddie, I’m like, ‘Bees, bees, bees,’ and he looks at me like I’m crazy.
“I dropped down, then he sees them, he dropped down. (Molinari) and (Reavie) look at me like I’m nuts and then they realized, like, 30 seconds later … the bees just went right at them. It’s funny, but certainly don’t want to get stung by those bad boys.”
Van Rooyen was able to “reset and refocus” after the fact, making par on the hole.
While he was ultimately able to recover, he’ll likely not forget this unreal experience.