Reports: Italian golfer Pavan badly injured from fall down elevator shaft when car was not there

STELLENBOSCH, South Africa (AP) — Italian golfer Andrea Pavan was badly injured from a fall down an elevator shaft when the doors opened and he was unaware the car wasn't there, according to multiple reports.

Golf Channel cited people on a text thread with Pavan's friends on the European tour and former Texas A&M teammates in reporting he suffered injuries to his back and shoulder and had undergone surgery Wednesday night in South Africa.

Pavan was scheduled to play in the South African Open, which began Thursday.

“By all accounts, he's in good spirits, thankful to be alive and FaceTiming with his kids,” J.T. Higgins, his former coach at Texas A&M, told Golf Channel. Higgins said he had not spoken with Pavan but was updated on his condition.

Golf Channel reported Pavan was staying near Cape Town and called for an elevator. He fell three stories and was taken to the hospital for surgery. The European tour, citing medical confidentiality, could only report he had withdrawn from the South African Open due to injury.

Pavan, 36, is a two-time winner on the European tour. His most recent victory was a playoff win over Matt Fitzpatrick in the 2019 BMW International Open.

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