Caddie collapses, given CPR during AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — A caddy for an amateur player collapsed during the second round of the PGA Tour’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Friday and was resuscitated before being taken to a nearby hospital.

Play was halted at No. 11 for nearly an hour due to prolonged care for Pebble Beach businessman Geoff Couch’s caddy after collapsing on the fairway.

Gary Young, the head umpire for the PGA Tour, said a spectator started CPR and a Cal Fire officer took over from there.

The playgroup included country singer Lukas Nelson and PGA Tour pros Beau Hossler and Max McGreevy, who appeared shaken after the incident. Couch left the playgroup shortly after the ambulance arrived.

The players and caddies were later seen hugging as they received messages. When asked about the caddy’s status by ESPN, Nelson said the caddy — who the PGA Tour didn’t name — “is doing better.” Golf Channel also reported that the caddy is expected to be fine.

“During the second round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, there was a medical emergency in Pebble Beach at No. 11 involving an amateur caddy,” the PGA Tour said in a statement. “The caddy was taken to Montage Health for evaluation. Under the direction of the PGA Tour Rules Committee, the players in this group – Max McGreevy and Beau Hossler – have suspended play during the medical emergency and are allowed to warm up and will resume their round shortly.”

Almost two hours after the incident, Hossler, McGreevy and Nelson resumed their round on the 11th hole.

“He fell on himself,” McGreevy told ESPN. “We just quickly took his bag off so they could do CPR.”

After Caddy was placed in an ambulance while he was still receiving CPR, the players met with a PGA Tour rules official. While there was debate about resuming play, Hossler, McGreevy and Nelson pushed back.

“I can’t say I’m really comfortable getting back into the game right now,” said Hossler. He went on to admit that he wasn’t asking for the entire game to be suspended, but felt he couldn’t continue the game as usual after witnessing the incident. “Is the line whether he passes or not?”

As a reason why they shouldn’t continue playing, Nelson cited what happened to Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin last month on Monday night. Finally, the official asked the players if they would be willing to step aside so the group could play through behind them, and the group agreed.

After resuming their round on the 11th hole and finishing as the day’s last group, a tour spokesman said both players declined to speak to the media “out of respect for the [caddie] and his family.” However, Nelson spoke to the media for a few minutes and recalled the incident.

“From my point of view it seemed like we lost him,” said Nelson. “Luckily there was a cop on the sidelines and he [performed] CPR. So he came in and effectively saved his life.”

Nelson said he was having a hard time continuing the lap but was happy to hear the caddy was reportedly doing better.

“Emotionally there is nothing like that,” he said. “I didn’t want to continue playing. I feel like it wasn’t right.”

Harry Higgs, who played two groups behind group Hossler and McGreevy, said he could tell the two players were visibly shaken.

“We teed off on the 11th and when I got up there and saw the group that the caddy was in, they were standing to the side and obviously very emotional,” Higgs said. “I called a rules officer over to me and just wanted to ask, is that ok? I don’t want to be rude and move on. It’s like golf doesn’t matter at all now, does it?”

Higgs said he was then informed that the caddie’s condition had improved and that he would be fine.