Andrea Pavan is out of the hospital, just one week after the golfer suffered a freak accident and fell down three floors in an elevator shaft in South Africa.
Pavan shared on social media on Wednesday that he had been discharged from the hospital in South Africa. The 36-year-old will remain in the country for about five more weeks of rehabilitation before he’s able to travel back home to the United States.
“It truly feels like a miracle to be able to walk and start to do some basic activities, though at a very slow and careful pace,” he wrote, in part.
“Thank you to all of the friends, family, sponsors and people who reached out with messages and prayers and stepped in to help in all kinds of different ways. I am sorry I could not get back to all of you yet, but my heart is overwhelmed with love and joy. God has answered many prayers, it truly feels like His hand is on my recovery.”
Pavan was in South Africa for the DP World Tour’s Investec South African Open at Stellenbosch Golf Club last week. He called for the elevator at the building where he was staying on Feb. 25, but he didn’t realize that the elevator car was not there waiting for him when the doors opened. Pavan stepped into the elevator shaft and fell down three stories.
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He was taken to the hospital, and underwent back and shoulder surgery. He suffered fractures to several vertebrae, too. A GoFundMe was set up for Pavan by one of his former Texas A&M teammates, too. As of Wednesday afternoon, it had raised more than $81,000.
Pavan, who was born in Italy, has won twice on the DP World Tour in his career and eight in total since he turned professional in 2010. The most notable came at the BMW International Open in Germany in 2019, when he beat Matt Fitzpatrick in a playoff. Pavan has made 13 starts on the PGA Tour and has played in three major championships, though he’s missed the cut in all three appearances. His last start was at the Qatar Masters in February, though he missed the cut there, too.
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It’s unclear when Pavan will get back on the golf course again, though simply being able to walk after the incident last week is a major step.
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