A strange turn of events led to ESPN reporter Michelle Beisner-Buck having surgery on Wednesday to repair a damaged nerve in her fractured ankle, caused by a golf ball hit by her husband Joe Buck.
The well-known “Monday Night Football” announcer was reported by colleague Adam Schefter to have “accidentally drove a golf ball into” his wife’s ankle. Further details were shared in an incredible video posted by Buck himself, recorded while dropping Beisner-Buck off at the hospital for surgery.
Buck recounted that the incident took place on July 7 in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, where the couple decided to play a round of golf before Buck’s participation in the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament.
Let’s hear it from Buck himself on the “total freak accident” that occurred at the 10th hole:
“We reached the 10th hole and I suggested hitting a couple of drives before grabbing a meal. The 10th hole has a slight left-to-right bend, and Michelle, known for doing headstands throughout our relationship, decided to do a headstand at the end of the tee box for good luck, out to my left.”
“At the exact moment I teed off, she, with her feet in the air, decided to do the splits, moving her right leg slightly to the side, right in my line of fire. I hit a TaylorMade golf ball with intricate designs on it, directly into the inside of her right ankle, shattering it.”
Although the incident may seem unbelievable, let’s not forget that we’ve all had our fair share of quirky moments on the golf course.
Unfortunately, the damage to Beisner-Buck’s ankle was extensive. She mentioned that not only was her ankle “shattered,” but the tibial nerve, a crucial nerve connected to the foot, was also “severely” damaged. Despite six weeks in a rigid cast, nerve blocks and lidocaine infusions proved ineffective, leading to the need for surgery to relieve the pressure on the nerve.
The incident appears to have deeply affected Buck, with his wife absolving him of blame:
“Needless to say, I feel overwhelming guilt. I still wake up in the middle of the night, haunted by that sound, and it truly makes me feel sick. It was a terrible sound.”