Sunday, July 9, 2000
Fan OK after being struck in
face by Woods' shot
LEMONT, Ill. (AP) — William Fick didn't
expect to get a handshake and a golf ball from Tiger Woods. Then
again, he didn't expect to get hit in the face by one of Woods'
shots, either.
Fick, 63, of Antioch, Ill., was sitting
off the left edge of the No. 5 green at the Western Open on Sunday
when Woods' second shot hit a branch above him. The ball then
hit Fick, opening a gash on the right side of his face just off
the bridge of his nose.
“I didn't know what happened,”
said Woods, who was hitting from about 200 yards below the green.
“It was kind of a shock to see him bleeding from the nose.”
Course marshals cleaned off the blood with
wet towels and gave Fick ice packs. They offered to call paramedics,
but Fick said he was fine. As soon as Woods reached the green
he went over to Fick, shook his hand and apologized.
“He was real nice,” Fick said.
“Came over and said he was sorry.”
Woods went back to talk to Fick after he
finished putting, shook hands again and gave Fick his ball.
“It's not his fault,” said Fick's
wife, Priscilla. “We play golf. You expect things like this.”
Woods was hitting from deep rough about
200 yards out on the par-5 No. 5. He pulled his shot left, sending
it into the trees above the gallery. The ball bounced onto the
fringe off the green after hitting Fick.
“They just said, `It's coming.' I tried
ducking,” Fick said. “It felt like I broke it.”
The Ficks were attending the Western Open
for the first time after winning tickets at a local golf tournament.
They left their house around sunrise and had staked out their
seats on the green by 7 a.m.
The accident Sunday won't keep them from
coming back, they said. In fact, they stayed in their seats and
watched the rest of the groups after Fick got hit.
“We just love golf,” Priscilla
Fick said.
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