Murray's errant tee shot strikes woman in her yard

text size

Serota/Getty Images

Actor Bill Murray did not finish his first round on Friday.

LUTZ, Fla. (AP) -- Actor Bill Murray hooked a tee shot so badly during a Pro-Am event on Friday that the ball sailed across a street next to the hole and hit a woman in her front yard. She was knocked to the ground and had to go to the hospital.

Murray was on No. 9 at the TPC Tampa Bay during the first round of the Outback Pro-Am when he hit Gail DiMaggio as she was watching the tournament.

He was playing with Hal Sutton, Jeff Sluman and Fred Paglia. They continued while Murray's caddy took him in a cart to the woman's yard, where paramedics were attending to her. Tournament officials said DiMaggio was lying on the ground, but conscious and moving.

"I wasn't sure I was in bounds or not," Murray said. "And I saw this NBC golf cart coming at me and he said, 'I hate to be the one to tell you this but you hit a lady. She's down on the ground.' That is, you know, sobering."

Murray said DiMaggio was taken to a local hospital.

"She was overjoyed when she saw me because she said she had come out to see me and her husband had just said, 'I hope he hits it over here,' " said Murray, who did not finish his round.

After signing his scorecard he joked with reporters that DiMaggio isn't the first spectator he's hit.

The 58-year-old comedian is an avid golfer who often plays in celebrity tournaments. He did not play in the Outback in 2008, but has numerous times in the past.

Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved.