Ryder Cup spectator hit by Brooks Koepka ball left blind in one eye with organisers facing legal action
Corine Remande is seeking legal advice and says there is ‘responsibility on part of the organisers’ after shocking incident at Le Grand National
US star Koepka’s drive on the par-four sixth hole veered towards the galleries and struck 49-year-old Corine Remande in the face on the opening day of the tournament.
“Doctors told me I had lost the use of that eye,” she told Agence France-Presse. “It happened so fast, I didn’t feel any pain when I was hit.
“I didn’t feel like the ball had struck my eye and then I felt the blood start to pour. The scan on Friday confirmed a fracture of the right eye-socket and an explosion of the eyeball.”
Remande, who had travelled from Egypt to Le Grand National, was treated at an eye hospital in Paris after being tended to by medical staff at the side of the course.
She said organisers had not made contact with her after the incident, and that she planned to consult a lawyer on Tuesday to seek damages.
“Quite clearly, there is responsibility on the part of the organisers,” Remande said. “Officials did not shout any warning as the player’s ball went into the crowd.
“More than anything I want them to take care of all the medical bills to make sure there is no risk of infection.”
Three-time major champion Koepka had made his way over to Remande to apologise and check on her after the incident.
The 28-year-old signed a golf glove and left it with Remande, who said she tried to play down the incident so Koepka “would stay concentrated”.
Koepka’s playing partner Tony Finau chipped in from the rough for an eagle moments later, and the pair went on to beat Justin Rose and Jon Rahm.
“It looked like it hurt,” he said. “It’s hard to control a golf ball, especially for 300 yards, and a lot of times the fans are close to the fairway.
“You can yell ‘fore’ but it doesn’t matter from 300 yards, you can’t hear it.”
