Andrea Pavan hospitalized after falling down an elevator shaft in a wild accident

Professional golfer Andrea Pavan has withdrawn from the DP World Tour’s Investec South African Open due to injuries she sustained in a freak elevator accident.

Pavan, 36, was hospitalized and “grateful to be alive” after falling down an elevator shaft at the building he was staying in near Cape Town, South Africa, for the tournament, according to Q Info on Monday.

“From all indications, he’s in good spirits, grateful to be alive and FaceTiming with his kids,” Pavan’s former coach at Texas A&M, JT Higgins, told the Golf Channel. Higgins had not yet spoken to Pavan, but was informed of his condition.

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Golf Channel learned from sources in Pavan’s inner circle that the golfer had requested an elevator inside the building where he was staying. However, when the elevator doors opened, no taxi had boarded.

Pavan didn’t realize that as he crashed through the doors and fell three floors below.

Pavan suffered multiple injuries, including to his back and shoulder. He underwent “extensive surgeries” Wednesday night to repair the damage.

Andrea Pavan of Italy hits the sixth hole during the first round of the Qatar Masters 2026 golf tournament at the Doha Golf Club in Doha, Qatar, on February 5, 2026. (Noushad Thekkayil/NurPhoto)

No known recovery timeline has been released for Pavan.

The Italian golfer has eight professional victories in his career, including two on the DP World Tour. The last one was in 2019, when he took home the BMW International Open.

Pavan defeated Matt Fitzpatrick, a PGA Tour fixture, in an event playoff.

Andrea Pavan of Italy hits the 16th hole at the Qatar Masters 2026 at Doha Golf Club on February 6, 2026, in Doha, Qatar. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

During this season, Pavan has achieved two top-15 finishes, including a tie for ninth at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship earlier this month.

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