During the first round of the U.S. Women's Open, LPGA golfer Isi Gabsa was teeing up on 12th hole at the Lancaster Country Club, and she hit a birdie. No... like an actual bird.
NEW: Professional golfer Isi Gabsa hits a *literal* birdie during the 12th hole at Lancaster Country Club on Thursday at the U.S. Women's Open.
Gabsa nailed and likely killed a bird that was flying over the green of the 12th hole.
A USGA official was then seen scooping the… pic.twitter.com/6XNS3PGS69
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 30, 2024
While the bird was just flying around, minding its own business, down from the sky came a golf ball off of Gabsa's drive which whacked the poor creature, who after impact was either seriously injured or dead. A LPGA Tour staff worker was then seen picking the bird up off the green with his bare hands.
On the broadcast you can hear the one announcer Brandel Chamblee say, "On the list of bizarre things that we have seen on the 12th hole, this one is kinda sad, takes the cake... Just a bird sitting on the green, minding its own business."
"That's not something you ever want to see on the golf course," the other announcer Kira K. Dixon said.
Gabsa went on to miss the "birdie" put, and finished the hole with a par.
After the first round, Gabsa finds herself three strokes over par (+3), as she is currently tied for 38th place. That is to say, it is not an insurmountable lead that she has to overcome, considering after day one, Yuka Saso currently leads with -3 strokes.
And with all of this in mind, Gabsa is certainly not the only "bird killer" in sports, as another well-known incident, that many fans probably remember, is when Randy Johnson threw a fast ball which hit a bird flying across the field during a spring training game in Tucson, Arizona (March 24, 2001).
Sporting venues may want to consider putting up "no fly zones" to help warn birds of flying objects in the future.
