Steele recovering after errant shot hits her at PGA Championship

ESPN’S Sage Steele hopes to“recover quickly”at her Connecticut home after being struck in the face by Jon Rahm’s errant tee shot Friday at the PGA Championship in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The “Sportscenter” anchor had finished broadcasting and was headed out to the fairway along the par-4 third hole to watch the action at Southern Hills when a drive by Rahm, playing in a group with Collin Morikawa and Scottie Scheffler, bloodied her face. Rahm immediately signaled that his shot was headed for the gallery, but Steele, 49, was struck quickly and so violently that the ball bounced back into the middle of the fairway. She was treated and released at a hospital and immediately flew home.

“I just want to thank everyone for your concern and prayers,” the anchor said in a statement released Saturday. “From the doctors, nurses and EMTS at

St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa to my doctor and dentist here in Connecticut and my co-workers at ESPN, I am so grateful. With the help of my team, I hope to recover quickly.”

Rahm had no immediate reaction, and it was not clear whether he was aware of the incident.

Also Friday, an errant drive by Cam Smith, who was playing on the second hole, struck Aaron Wise, who was playing on the adjacent seventh hole. Wise finished his round and said he was “a little sore” but otherwise felt “fine.”smith was unaware of the incident until after his round.“i was surprised my ball wasn’t in the fairway, and the next thing you know, there’s a little bit of ringing in my head, and I was down on the fairway,”wise told Golf Channel.