Corine Remande, the Ryder Cup spectator who lost sight in her right eye after being struck by an errant Brooks Koepka tee shot, told BBC News that she could have died had she been hit on the side of the head. She is reportedly planning to sue event organizers, accusing marshals at Le Golf National of not properly ensuring her safety and urging Ryder Cup officials to make changes moving forward.
The 49-year-old Frenchwoman told BBC News that a handful of concerns have made her “very angry” in the aftermath of the allegedly life-threatening incident, charging officials with failing to: 1) provide proper safety warnings on tickets; 2) alert spectators about the incoming ball; 3) convey to fans that players were trying to drive the green on the par-4 sixth hole; and 4) check on her at the hospital.
European Tour officials countered all her claims, telling BBC that: 1) tickets clearly state safety concerns; 2) “fore” was yelled multiple times on Koepka’s drive; 3) they are not informed of a player strategy prior to tee shots; and 4) they have been in contact with Remande’s family since the incident.
European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley provided the following statement to BBC:
“Our deepest sympathies continue to be with Mme Remande and her family. Brooks Koepka, who has said he is heartbroken by the incident, has also contacted the family.
“We take our responsibility for fan safety extremely seriously and we have been in regular contact with the family since the accident to offer our support and we will continue to do so.
“Millions of spectators attend and enjoy golf events each year. Incidents of this severity are extremely rare. The safety of our spectators is our paramount concern, and this will continue to be the case.”
In a press conference before the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland on Wednesday, Koepka called his errant drive “the one shot I [will] definitely regret in my career,” adding that the hours after he learned Remande had lost sight in her right eye “was one of the worst days of my life.”
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Ben Rohrbach is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @brohrbach
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