Sage Steele was hit in the face by an unruly golf tee shot at the PGA Championship, resulting in a brief hospitalization for the ESPN anchor in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Golfer Jon Rahm’s third-hole tee shot Thursday hit Steele at around 181 miles — according to the ESPN broadcast — per hour after he hooked it wide left.
“I just want to thank everyone for your concern and prayers during the last couple of days,” Steele wrote in a statement posted to Twitter on Saturday. “From the doctors, nurses and EMTs at Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa, to my doctor and dentist here in Connecticut, and my co-workers at ESPN, I am so grateful. With the help of my team, I hope to recover quickly for my three kids, and get back to work. Looking forward to seeing everyone again soon.”
ESPN declined to provide comment to TheWrap.
“I was standing behind the tee when Rahm hit a hard hook into the left trees,” wrote The Quadrilateral’s Geoff Shackelford. “He immediately yelled ‘Fore Left!’ and aggressively waved his arm pointing left. The impact must have been brutal: Rahm’s tee shot ended up in the center of the fairway.”
Shackelford also detailed one eyewitness account of the incident. The eyewitness said they “saw her on the ground, holding her nose, mouth or chin area” and her hands “covered in blood.”
Steele was done with her reporting duties when the ball struck her. She went to the hospital and has since been discharged to return home. She will not resume coverage of the PGA Tournament.
Steele recently filed a lawsuit against ESPN, which is owned by Disney, for allegedly keeping her off air after her comments on the company’s vaccination protocols.