A wild shot from major champ Bryson DeChambeau struck PGA professional Kenny Pigman squarely in the back during the opening round of the 2023 PGA Championship on Thursday at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y.
Pigman, a pro at Arrowhead Country Club in San Bernardino, Calif., who is making his second PGA Championship appearance, was about to tee off on the par-4 18th hole when he suddenly started ducking for cover. Seconds later a ball hit him in the back.
Pigman, who looked to take the hit quite well, immediately looked behind him, trying to figure out where the ball originated. Pigman was playing with Davis Thompson and Maverick McNealy in the group ahead of DeChambeau, who was grouped with Keegan Bradley and Jason Day.
The broadcast crew said the ball was a DeChambeau tee shot, although based off the distance of the 502-yard par-4 17th, and with where the 18th tee is located, it seems more likely it was DeChambeau’s second shot, which was an approach from 167 yards that he missed right of the green.
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The broadcast added that DeChambeau checked on Pigman afterward and, it’s worth mentioning, that “Fore!” was yelled as well. DeChambeau, whose monster drives have sometimes been hard to rein in, was criticized for not yelling “Fore!” two years ago (although the 2020 U.S. Open champ disagreed with that characterization).
“I do shout fore,” he said at the 2021 Open Championship. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. There are plenty of people on the tee box that do shout fore. You’re bringing up a very controversial thing, which is unfortunate, but 99 percent of the time I do, and unfortunately people think I don’t. But that’s okay, they can say whatever they want.”
DeChambeau, a LIV Golf member, started on the back nine. He made bogey on the 17th but birdied the 18th to turn in one under. He then shot three under on the front nine for a four-under 66 and early clubhouse lead. You can follow the entire first round here.
