The new men's captain of Chislehurst Golf Club in Kent had a moment to forget last Saturday - as he whacked the ball straight into a spectator during his drive-in.
The incident has gone viral on social media over the last few days, leaving golf fans shocked. As per tradition, when a new captain is appointed by a golf club, an event is held where they drive a ball in front of a crowd to mark the start of their year-long stint.
Yet it's an occasion which a lot of captains dread in fear of a wayward drive. That's exactly what happened at Chislehurst GC last Saturday, when their new men's captain wildly sent his tee shot straight into an unsuspecting spectator's face.
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"Right, here we go," the captain was heard confidently saying before teeing off, before the crowd gasped in shock when the spectator was struck. The captain also seemed in shock, as he held his pose and didn't immediately react to what happened. Chislehurst GC have since issued a statement confirming that no one was injured by the wayward shot.
"In view of the media interest generated by the new captain's drive-in on Saturday, Chislehurst Golf Club is pleased to confirm that no one was hurt and club members spent an enjoyable afternoon with the new captains," the club's statement read.
To make matters worse, the captain's tee shot was filmed from various different angles. Don Clark shared the unfortunate incident on X and wrote: "Just because you are the new captain of the club doesn't mean you are the best player, especially under pressure."
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When sharing another angle of the shot, Clark added: "Doesn't look any better from behind the tee." One fan responded by mocking the captain's post-hit pose. "Rumour has it he held his follow through until St John's (ambulance) arrived," they joked.
Another fan, meanwhile, shared their own experience of a drive-in. They wrote on X: "(This) makes me feel better. I topped mine 68 yards. It was straight though (laughing emoji). Worst bit was knowing someone that I played with had actually bought that distance in the charity sweepstake!"
While Chislehurst GC didn't name the captain in their statement, their website does contain a list of former captains and current skippers. Simon Gander, a 58-year-old who was born in Chislehurst and has always resided in the area, is the current men's captain.
Gander joined the club in 1979 and was previously their junior captain. He worked in "the city" for 34 years in insurance and retired as a main border member for Aon, a services and management consulting firm that used to sponsor Manchester United, in 2017.
Chislehurst GC's current "lady captain" is Mary Wootton, and their junior captain is Victoria Taurae. Yet it's unclear who exactly took the unfortunate tee shot.
