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Pavan details harrowing fall and road to recovery
Italian golfer Andrea Pavan has spoken about his optimism for a return to the sport after a severe accident in February left him with multiple injuries.
The accident
The incident occurred at Pavan's private accommodation near Stellenbosch Golf Club, South Africa, ahead of the South African Open. As he prepared to leave for breakfast and an afternoon pro-am, Pavan returned to his apartment to retrieve a locker key.
While attempting to use the lift, the doors opened, but the car was not present, causing him to fall three storeys down the open shaft. Pavan described the moment to BBC Radio 5 Live's Naga Munchetty programme: "I opened the door-one of those that leads straight into the apartment-and by the time I realised the lift wasn't there, I'd already taken a step."
"The next thing I know, I'm at the bottom of the elevator shaft, luckily not unconscious but in a lot of pain and screaming for help."
Andrea Pavan
A passerby heard his cries, and Pavan managed to call his caddie, who was waiting in a car nearby. Emergency services, including firefighters, arrived to extract him from the shaft.
Injuries and surgery
Pavan sustained severe shoulder damage and fractures to several vertebrae in his back. He underwent major surgery and spent seven days in a South African hospital before returning to his home in Texas.
The golfer outlined his recovery timeline, explaining that bone healing would be assessed around the three-month mark, with complete healing expected at six months. However, he acknowledged potential complications, including the risk of necrosis due to insufficient blood flow to the bones or the need for additional surgery if other tissues were damaged.
Recovery outlook
Pavan remains hopeful but cautious about his return to golf. "The shoulder is a very demanding joint," he said. "Hopefully, it's a little less than a year before I can play with a full swing, but it's such a big injury that there are a lot of unknowns."
He emphasized taking recovery day by day, focusing on gradual improvement rather than setting a definitive timeline.
Support from the golfing community
During his hospital stay, Pavan received overwhelming support from fellow golfers and friends. He praised the "amazing" response from the golfing world, noting that several players, including Matteo Manassero and Manuel Oliveira, stayed up late to visit him after surgery, despite having to compete the following day.
"The amount of people who came to the hospital to visit me when the tournament was happening was truly overwhelming. It was comforting to feel you were not alone going through this."
Andrea Pavan
Career highlights
Pavan, a two-time DP World Tour winner, claimed the Czech Masters in 2018 and the BMW International Open in 2019. His career has been marked by resilience, and he hopes to add another chapter with his return to competitive golf.
