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Pros hitting spectators

If this was an issue then an attorney would've already tracked down a hit spectator and got some money for it.
 
I'm sure the courses have massive policies to cover this and other injuries on the course and perhaps their policy covers the players as well. I would think, as others have said, that the courses and the folks running the tournaments are more likely to get sued than the players. I agree with everyone that says you aren't likely to win a suit like that, but even defending a frivolous suit can be costly. I'm curious as to whether the players have individual policies for this, great question.
 
Hit a player on the course watching the tourney and I'm not responsible. Hit a house that some dolt built 5 feet from the fairway and I am responsible. Stupid game.
 
I wouldn't mind being hit by a pro, they usually do some nice stuff for people!
 
RoundersRob said:
Hit a player on the course watching the tourney and I'm not responsible. Hit a house that some dolt built 5 feet from the fairway and I am responsible. Stupid game.
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The house is always going to be there, the spectator won't. Also, the house doesn't 'accept' that there is a chance of being hit :p
 
"You just hit that guy!"

"He shouldn't have been standing there."
 
asca2 said:
The player is not responsible, because due to the "assumption of risk" doctrine, once you enter the course, you assume any risk as long as it is reasonable to expect that a ball might hit you. Of course, if the player purposefully aims at you and hits you, that is another story. However, as long as it is during the normal play, you assume the risk. Some courts have however considered whether the host site has taken necessary cautions to avoid potential accidents. For example if the rope is too close to the fairway, the spectator might have a case against the host of the tournament since chances are high that the player might miss the fairway. Nevertheless, at the most, the spectator would only get reimbursed for medical expenses and not for any pain and suffering and other claims.
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I have to agree with this. No different than when you walk on to the course to play. You have to assume some level of risk to play.
 
arydolphin said:
Wouldn't be surprised if somewhere in fine print on a spectator's ticket that there is some statement saying that the Tour is not responsible for injury from a ball in play.
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I have a ticket for this June's Travelers Championship right here on my desk and it says much more than that.

On the back, the second sentence reads:

"By purchasing this admission badge or entering on the grounds of a PGA TOUR sanctioned tournament, you assume all risk and danger incidental to the game of golf and release PGA TOUR sanctioned tournaments and competitions and their host sites, title sponsors, host organizations, PGA TOUR Inc., participating players and all agents thereof from any and all liabilities resulting from such cases."

(The first sentence makes the obvious statement that the ticket is only valid for one person on the day(s) shown on the front.)

I am pretty sure that tickets for events like baseball games have similar language. It would take a willful act or criminal negligence to get past this I think. Life isn't risk free and if you're allowed to more or less freely a course where hard objects are flying at triple-digit speeds then that risk has to be acknowledged that those things don't always go in the direction they are intended.

I remember reading an advisory last year that spectators should be especially careful on pro-am days. I agree!

Ken
 
INgolfer said:
I wouldn't mind being hit by a pro, they usually do some nice stuff for people!
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I agree, well maybe not in the head, anywhere else I'm good to go, hit me!
 
Exactly. The guy just hit a shot 40 yards from where he was aiming and now you want to stand as close as you can to the next shot? I would get away from there and to the opposite side of the fairway and behind him if possible. I know for me hitting it into the trees is usually not followed by a spectacular shot...
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Well, I'll say this - that the Luke Donald event, we stood maybe 3 yards off his line when he was hitting bunker shots. Needless to say, I would NEVER stand there for anyone else. But it was never an issue for Luke.

With that said pros do shank them on occasion, so I don't think I'd stand real close on a long shot, where the ball is coming at you with such speed it could potentially be fatal.
 
"I remember reading an advisory last year that spectators should be especially careful on pro-am days. I agree!"

I volunteered for the Deere TPC last year and was assigned to stand just right of the green down in a hole that was blind to everyone, my job was to make note of where balls few into the woods off the bank on a par three, never had so many balls come near me in my life. Thankfully I could see the tee box so could dive for cover when the ams stepped up to hit it, during tournament play it was pretty boring.
 
Judging by the way that the pros, their caddies and everyone else seems incapable of shouting 'fore' I am guessing that they are covered. Its a mystery to me why the shout no longer seems to be in vogue....I must just be getting old I guess...
 
What about when the pro intentionally hits it into the crowd? Phil basically admitted this on the front nine par three last year at the Masters. Phil stated after the round that the chip from the drop area was an easy up and down compared to some of the other options he could face after hitting to the green and that he caught a bad break when the ball hit the railing and shot off to left.

Even with a Major and a good chunk of change at stake it seemed more than a little reckless that he was aiming for the crowd/stands on a 200 yard par three.
 
I'm amazed how little people pay attention when they are sitting in the driving slot (yardage) of the pros and are just a few yard off the fairway.

I have never seen any one hit that was paying attention.
 
Id like to think that if someone sued for being hit while at a pga tour event they would not win. But then I realize that in America people win lawsuits becuase MCDONALDS made them FAT, and you spilled HOT COFFEE on yourself after buying your HOT COFFEE!! Hopefully no one ever does sue and even worse win because that would make spectating at a tour event even more difficult.
 
daveee blair said:
Id like to think that if someone sued for being hit while at a pga tour event they would not win. But then I realize that in America people win lawsuits becuase MCDONALDS made them FAT, and you spilled HOT COFFEE on yourself after buying your HOT COFFEE!! Hopefully no one ever does sue and even worse win because that would make spectating at a tour event even more difficult.
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I think you should look up the lawsuit where the lady spilled hot coffee on herself.

The reason why McDonald's was held liable in that case was because the coffee was too hot for human consumption and caused some terrible burns.
 
Renren89 said:
I think you should look up the lawsuit where the lady spilled hot coffee on herself.

The reason why McDonald's was held liable in that case was because the coffee was too hot for human consumption and caused some terrible burns.
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I do not know the exact facts of that case and Im not a coffee drinker so I just figured all hot coffee was hot. Id like to retract that lawsuit example from my above post. LOL I was just trying to make a statement that frivleous (sorry for the spelling) lawsuits are there and juries and judges actually side with dump people.
 
JaxGolfer1 said:
Nah, its buyer beware out on a golf course as a spectator. If I could choose to get get smoked by a PGA pro I take Mickelson. His signed gloves have a hundred dollar bill inside.
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He's even given his watch to a fan he hit. Don't know what it was but being sponsored by Rolex you would have to assume it was one of them
 
I hope they let him keep the ball
 
Renren89 said:
I think you should look up the lawsuit where the lady spilled hot coffee on herself.

The reason why McDonald's was held liable in that case was because the coffee was too hot for human consumption and caused some terrible burns.
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They also uncovered memos from corporate telling their franchisees that if they kept the coffee way too hot, customers wouldn't be able to drink it before they left, saving money on free refills. Most people also don't know the coffee melted the styrofoam cup it was in, burning her and causing her to spill the rest. Her suit was also only to cover her medical expenses, and she was awarded the compensatory damages by the jury.
 
Greg Kulbick said:
They also uncovered memos from corporate telling their franchisees that if they kept the coffee way too hot, customers wouldn't be able to drink it before they left, saving money on free refills. Most people also don't know the coffee melted the styrofoam cup it was in, burning her and causing her to spill the rest. Her suit was also only to cover her medical expenses, and she was awarded the compensatory damages by the jury.
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That is crazy. So maybe my other example: "Mcdonalds made me fat" law suit wasnt as dumb as i thought.
 
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