Swedish golfer Daniela Holmqvist had an incredibly frightening experience earlier this week at the pre-qualifier for the SPS Handa Australian Open in Australia, the LPGA’s season-opening event. According to Golf Digest Woman, Holmqvist was punching through the rough on the fourth hole when she felt a stinging pain in her ankle. She reached down and swatted way a black, furry creature that had a red dot on its back before hunching over in pain.
The furry creature turned out to be a black widow spider, and it had bitten Holmqvist on the ankle.
“When I told the local caddies in my group what had happened, they got very upset and said it was a black widow, and immediately started looking for their phones to call the medics,” she told Swedish website Svensk Golf.
Holmqvist’s leg began to swell and hurt badly, and she said she remembered being told as a child that a bite from a black widow spider can kill a person within 30 minutes. Rather than panicking, Holmqvist used a golf tee to open the wound where the spider had bitten her and squeezed the venom out.
“A clear fluid came out,” she said. “It wasn’t the prettiest thing I’ve ever done, but I had to get as much of it out of me as possible.”
Amazingly, Holmqvist finished her round. Medics followed her around for the final 14 holes, but the procedure she had performed on herself apparently worked. She shot a 74 and missed the tournament cut, but I’m sure she’s thankful to have avoided serious injury.
Golf may not be the most dangerous sport going, but the environment in which it is played can create some hairy situations. Whether it’s a senior citizen being dragged by an alligator, a live shark turning up out of nowhere or a black widow sneak attack, mother nature can make golf a dangerous game.
H/T Eye on Golf
