Kevin O’Connell, the 30-year-old reigning U.S. Mid-Amateur champion, was playing a practice round at Pebble Beach when he reportedly aced the iconic par-3 seventh hole. But just moments later, per Golf Digest’s Joel Beall, he fell ill and asked for medical assistance.
Scary moment at Pebble. Moments after making hole-in-one at 7, Kevin O’Connell motions to group that something’s wrong and becomes violently sick. After 30 mins with Fire and Safety, he’s able to get into service vehicle under own power
— Joel Beall (@JoelMBeall) June 12, 2019
The USGA confirmed to Golf Channel that “a competitor did ask for medical assistance on the course. He was treated at the location by staff that quickly responded. Once his condition improved he took a cart back to his room. He did not request medical transport.”
A text sent to O’Connell by Golf Channel was not immediately returned.
O’Connell played his college golf at North Carolina before he turned pro in 2011 and played mini-tours for three summers. He regained his amateur status a few years after that and had thought about giving pro golf a second try last fall (he signed up for European Tour Q-School), until he won the U.S. Mid-Amateur last September and scored invites to the Masters and U.S. Open. He missed the cut at Augusta National in April.
He is scheduled to tee off in Thursday’s first round of the U.S. Open at 7:18 a.m. PT alongside Billy Hurley III and Brian Davis.