Wesley Botton

By Wesley Botton

Chief sports journalist


WATCH: SA golfer Van Rooyen hits the deck to avoid swarm of bees

Van Rooyen didn't seem too bothered by the disruption, finishing the first round in a tie for second place.


Erik van Rooyen’s first round was interrupted in a rather unusual way when the South African had to hit the ground to avoid a swarm of bees at the Mexico Open on Thursday.

The 33-year-old player, a former winner of the Barracuda Championship on the PGA Tour and the Scandinavian Invitation tournament on the DP World Tour, was about to play a shot on the fairway on the 10th hole when he and the rest of his playing group ducked out the way of the approaching swarm.

Van Rooyen wasn’t too bothered by it, however, and he went on to finish the opening round on one-under par, settling in a tie for second place with Argentine player Estanislao Goya.

They were one shot off the pace of American Austin Smotherman heading into the second round of the PGA Tour event.

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