Marc Leishman got a small stroke of luck in the first round of the Australian PGA Championship on Thursday when his ball collected a spectator.
On the par 5 ninth hole, Leishman brought out his driver for a bold second shot out of the first cut of rough in an aggressive attempt to set up a putt for eagle.
The veteran Aussie golfer struck it cleanly but the ball bounced just to the side of the green and the bunker, rolling past the rope that cordons off fans.
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As it rolled, a man walking past was struck on the ankle, bringing Leishman’s shot to a halt and keeping him closer to the green than initially expected.
Marc Leishman’s shot collides with a spectator Nine
“A little love tap on the ankle, it stopped him going about another 10 or 12 metres,” Nick O’Hern said in commentary on the Nine broadcast.
Co-commentator Anthony Hudson then jokingly asked if the spectator was related to Leishman.
“No, that one was accidental,” O’Hern responded.
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The 42-year-old finished 2-under par for the opening round in Brisbane, placing him in 20th spot on the overall leaderboard.
There were several Aussies near the top with Anthony Quayle and Cory Crawford tied for second with 4-under par.
Min Woo Lee and Adam Scott both shot three-under, while Spain’s Sebastian Garcia was sitting pretty at the top of the leaderboard with 6-under through his first 14 holes.