Golfer nails fan with snapped driver at World Long Drive competition

Getting first row seats to the World Long Drive competition would be amazing, but it comes with a caution: watch out for broken drivers.

That was the case when long driver Wes Patterson, who was attempting to win the competition in the 16th round when his driver exploded on his follow through and hit a nearby fan right in the chest.

That’s got to hurt. Thankfully, the fan who was nailed smiled off the incident and appeared to be OK.

Patterson, meanwhile, absolutely nailed his long drive – going 423 yards. I’m not sure if that’s good or not in the context of the competition, but it quadruples my very best attempt. It’s hella impressive. Also, kudos to Patterson for immediately taking his eyes off the ball and checking to make sure the fan is A-OK.

But, the incident should serve as a warning to expect the unexpected. The chances of another driver breaking mid-swing seem slim, but if it smacked a fan in the head, we’d be having a much more serious discussion.

[For The Win]