Italian golfer Andrea Pavan has expressed optimism about returning to the sport after a harrowing fall down an open lift shaft in February left him with severe injuries.
The 36-year-old two-time DP World Tour winner was in South Africa preparing for the South African Open when the incident occurred at his private accommodation near Stellenbosch Golf Club. The lift doors opened, but there was no car inside, causing Pavan to drop three storeys.
“I walked back towards the elevator, opened the door … and by the time I realised the lift wasn’t there I’d already taken a step,” Pavan told BBC Radio 5 Live. “The next thing I know I’m just at the bottom of the elevator, luckily not unconscious but in a lot of pain and screaming for help.”
He suffered severe shoulder damage and fractures to several vertebrae in his back, requiring major surgery. He spent seven days in hospital in South Africa before returning to his home in Texas.
“It’s hard to say a precise goal, there’s more like steps,” Pavan said of his recovery. “Around three months we’ll see how well the bone has healed. Around six months it’s about where complete bone healing happens … Hopefully it’s a little less than a year that I can play with a full swing.”
Pavan noted there are risks of a second surgery or necrosis due to insufficient blood flow to the bones. “There is that risk, but so far it seems like things are positive enough.”
He praised the support from the golfing community, including fellow players Matteo Manassero and Manuel Oliveira, who stayed at the hospital until 2am after his surgery despite having a tournament the next day. “The amount of people who came to the hospital … was truly overwhelming,” Pavan said.
Despite the long road ahead, Pavan remains hopeful: “The only thing I can do is to try and improve and take it day by day.”