John Smoltz had a scary moment on the golf course recently, one that involved getting hit in the face with a golf ball.
On a conference call Tuesday for the American Century Championship, the annual celebrity golf bash at Lake Tahoe, the MLB Hall of Famer talked about the incident.
“First time it’s ever happened to me on a golf course,” he said. “I got hit in the head right above the eye, about 100 miles an hour. Hardest I’ve ever been hit. Very lucky, very blessed. And it’s about two weeks ago tomorrow.”
Smoltz, one of the tournament’s favorites in 2024, is a regular in the ACC. He was runner-up in both 2010 and 2021. On the Zoom conference call Tuesday, a bruise was visible on his face.
“So the only thing I really have is some hearing problems, but other than that I’m glad that’s all I’m dealing with,” said the 1996 National League Cy Young Award winner and 2015 National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee.
The American Century Championship, a made-for-TV event, will be staged for the 35th time in 2024. Steph Curry, the defending champion, will not be able to return after he announced he will play for the U.S. Olympic basketball team this summer.