A forgotten locker key turned an ordinary Wednesday morning into a nightmare for Andrea Pavan. The Italian professional golfer was heading back to his apartment to retrieve it before a practice round. After grabbing the keys, he stepped into an elevator shaft with no elevator car. He fell three stories, suffered serious injuries, and was left wondering whether he would ever swing a golf club again.
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Eight months later, Pavan is making progress with his recovery, but the road back to professional golf remains uncertain. In a video shared by Today’s Golfer on X, the two-time DP World Tour winner revisited the terrifying accident.
“It was only about a ten-minute drive to the golf course, and we almost got there and realized I didn’t have my locker key, so decided to turn around, since I had plenty of time. And went up to the apartment and took the lift up. Then, by the time I found the key, I turned around, just headed towards the elevator, and opened the door. And by the time I realized there was no lift, it was too late. I had taken a step, and I don’t remember the actual fall. But I remember being in a lot of pain, not really losing consciousness, because I managed to call my caddie with my phone,” Andrea Pavan is heard saying.
The accident happened on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, a day before the Investec South African Open was scheduled to begin at Stellenbosch Golf Club in South Africa.
The Italian golfer had fallen three stories down the open elevator shaft. But luckily, the elevator car didn’t follow.
“As soon as I realized I was alive, I looked up, and the lift was up there. So, you just think, like, ‘I hope it doesn’t come down, crushing me.’ You know, at the beginning I just didn’t know if I could really be able to swing a golf club. There were so many uncertainties. So it just really pushed me to dig deep, accept what happened, and not think too far ahead in the future,” he added.
He sustained severe damage to his right shoulder and fractures to several vertebrae in his back, requiring surgery on both his shoulder and back. He was taken to Mediclinic Stellenbosch for treatment.
After being discharged from hospital in early March, he shared an update expressing his gratitude to the medical staff and everyone who had supported him.
“It truly feels like a miracle to be able to walk and start to do some basic activities, although at a very slow and careful pace,” he wrote.
He still needed to remain in South Africa for approximately five more weeks to rehabilitate his shoulder and back. This was essential to allow his other injuries to heal.
His wife, Audra, had also traveled from Dallas to South Africa to be with him. The golfing community provided considerable support during this period. Players and caddies visited him in hospital.
South African businessman Johann Rupert and his wife, Gaynor, also helped Pavan and Audra with accommodation during his recovery. Pavan acknowledged their assistance in his initial public statement.
His former Texas A&M teammate Matt van Zandt organized a fundraising campaign to help with the family’s expenses. The fundraiser had reportedly collected more than $85,000 by the end of March 2026. Contributions came in from golfers including Sergio Garcia, Billy Horschel, and others.
The new video shared by Today’s Golfer marks a significant shift in Andrea Pavan’s recovery story.
His latest update suggests that he hopes to be healthy enough to resume sustained travel around the end of January or February 2027.
However, he made it clear that this is dependent on how his recovery progresses. He hopes to regain enough fitness to travel for several consecutive weeks, but that alone won’t make him ready to compete.
“I want to get back, and I want to compete. But at the same time, I have to understand that I need to be ready,” he explained.
The bigger questions concern his ability to recover his previous form and swing speed. The 37-year-old’s determination to return carries additional significance considering the challenges he has faced throughout his professional career.
He enjoyed a breakthrough in 2018 when he won the D+D Real Czech Masters. He followed it with another victory less than a year later, defeating Matt Fitzpatrick in a playoff at the 2019 BMW International Open.
However, the following years brought a difficult period. Pavan struggled with his driving, including severe driver yips, and his results deteriorated. He recorded 14 competitive rounds in the 80s during 2020 and 2021, eventually losing his DP World Tour card.
He then worked his way back through the developmental circuit. His victory at the 2023 D+D Real Czech Challenge helped him regain his playing status on the main tour.
That earlier recovery demonstrated his ability to rebuild his game after a prolonged performance slump. However, his current situation presents a different challenge. This time, the uncertainty comes from significant physical injuries rather than a loss of form.
Pavan’s latest comments offer a glimpse of how far he has come since that February morning. But they also highlight the uncertainty surrounding his future.