Pavan optimistic of return after lift shaft fall

Andrea Pavan won the Czech Masters in 2018 and the BMW International Open in 2019 Italian Andrea Pavan said he is "optimistic" about a return to playing after he fell down an open lift shaft in February. The incident occurred before the South African Open at Pavan's private accommodation near Stellenbosch Golf Club when the lift doors opened but there was no lift car in the shaft, causing him to drop three storeys down. The 36-year-old was taken to a local hospital with severe shoulder damage and fractures to several vertebrae in his back, and had major surgery.

"It's hard to say a precise goal, there's more like steps," said Pavan. "Around three months we'll see how well the bone has healed. Around six months it's about where complete bone healing happens and we'll see how the joint is moving by then.

"It depends on if there are other tissues that were damaged if I need a second surgery. And there's the possibility of necrosis when the blood flow is not sufficient for the bones. There is that risk, but so far it seem like things are positive enough.

"The shoulder is a very demanding joint. Hopefully it's a little less than a year that I can play with a full swing but it's just so new and such a big injury there just a lot of unknowns. But I'm hopeful and the only thing I can do is to try and improve and take it day by day.