CC Sabathia and Matt James hit Phoenix Open spectators with tee shots causing one to bleed
Former MLB All-Star CC Sabathia and 'Bachelor' alum Matt James shanked a couple of golf balls at some unfortunate spectators on the golf course, even bloodying one of them from a horrific tee shot.
The celebrities were participating in the Pro-Am tournament portion of this week’s Phoenix Open when they shanked their respective drives into the crowd. Reality TV star James was seen standing in the 16th hole tee box barefoot before he shot a golf ball directly into the thigh of a nearby photographer, barely missing the guy's groin area that could have caused some serious injuries.
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Following the incident, James apologized profusely to the photographer in a video message. “I just really want to apologize again for [hitting you],” he said. “I was not aiming for you, I don’t think frankly I was aiming for anything and that’s the problem. I probably should have never stepped out here.” The TV star promised he would put in “a lot of work" before returning to the tournament again in 2023. James also promised to make up for hitting the photographer. “I owe you a beer. I owe you dinner. I owe you my life,” he added.
The North Carolina native indulged in some self-deprecating humor the following day, promising his followers that he was moving "forward" after his disastrous swing. "The good thing is, it can’t get any worse than it was yesterday,” the ABC Food Tours co-founder quipped on Thursday, February 10, via his Instagram Stories. “I can’t legally hold or swing a golf club … until I undergo 100 hours of intense golf training. [Which is] warranted," he added.
"I think I was aiming for the wrong hole."
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 10, 2022
A breakdown from @MattJames919 and a follow-up with the victim. 😅 pic.twitter.com/1f5gpOZZYu
But shortly after the photographer bore the brunt of James's mishap, another spectator became the target of an ex-New York Yankees star who stepped into the tee box. The horrendous drive from Sabathia reportedly occurred on the 18th hole of the Pro-Am tournament. According to Mediaite, Sabathia is known to be quite a decent golfer unlike James, who spent hours prepping for the tournament at Topgolf. Nonetheless, Sabathia's 18th hole, par-4 drive was a disaster as he shanked to the far right and hit a spectator in the leg, causing him to bleed. The MLB all-star politely signed a souvenir golf ball for his victim, who turned out to be a Yankees fan himself, TMZ Sports reported.
Sabathia has come a long way after battling alcohol addiction. The baseball star had shocked his fans when he announced he was entering alcohol rehab on October 5, 2015, just four days after pitching the Yankees into the playoffs for the first time in three years. Now, six years sober, Sabathia majorly credits golf for helping him wean off his alcohol dependency. “For sure, golf has helped me,” Sabathia said of his alcohol addiction, as quoted by Golf Digest. “Being able to detach from my phone, hang out with some buddies and enjoy being where my feet are. That’s one thing I always try to tell myself. Just be where your feet are," he added, before noting how he was "setting up golf trips" and that he even "got a simulator in the house."
CC Sabathia makes it to the 16th tee. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher David Price following him around today. Asked to describe Sabathia’s golf game, Price called it “left and right.” @sportscronkite pic.twitter.com/pLGcp4yadu
— Gabe Swartz (@gabeswartz_) February 9, 2022
It's worth noting that both Sabathia and James appeared genuinely apologetic about their errant shots, and the victims in both incidents "ended up being OK," Mediaite reported.
