Italian golfer Andrea Pavan optimistic after fall down lift shaft, begins recovery

One bad step can end a golfer’s livelihood in an instant, and Andrea Pavan spent the past two months confronting that reality after a fall that left him unable to know whether he would walk, let alone play again. The 36-year-old Italian, a two-time DP World Tour winner and the 2019 BMW International Open champion, fell three floors down an open lift shaft in Stellenbosch, South Africa, on Feb. 25 while he was in town for the Investec South African Open Championship.

Pavan had stepped toward what he thought was a lift at his lodging, but the car was not there. He was pulled from the tournament before it began, taken to hospital and underwent surgery on his shoulder and back after suffering fractures to several vertebrae and severe damage to his shoulder. The accident put his career, income and daily independence on hold in the most abrupt way possible, with the recovery now stretching far beyond the tournament he had traveled for.

By March 4, Pavan had been discharged from hospital and said it felt like a miracle to be able to walk again. He remained in South Africa for about five more weeks of rehabilitation before he could travel home to the Dallas area in the United States. His return to golf remained uncertain, but the early signs were encouraging enough for him to describe himself as optimistic about getting back to competition.

The response from golf’s network was immediate. Support came from fellow players, caddies and tournament staff, while a GoFundMe campaign started by his former Texas A&M teammate Matt Van Zandt aimed to raise $100,000 for the Italian’s recovery. By March 4, the fundraiser had brought in more than $81,000, underscoring how quickly a freak injury can turn a touring professional into a patient facing both physical and financial strain.

Pavan thanked the Mediclinic hospital staff, the DP World Tour, the Sunshine Tour, and Johann Rupert and Gaynor Rupert for their help. His former college coach, JT Higgins, said Pavan was in good spirits, thankful to be alive and FaceTiming with his children. Pavan, who played on Texas A&M’s 2009 national championship team, now faces a rehab process that will test the same resilience that carried him to two Tour wins.