Andrea Pavan suffers serious injuries falling down elevator shaft

Two-time DP World Tour winner Andrea Pavan is recovering from surgery after suffering serious injuries when he reportedly fell down an elevator shaft in South Africa.

The 36-year-old Italian was forced to withdraw from the South African Open following the incident at his private accommodation.

Reports indicate Pavan plummeted several floors when the elevator doors opened despite the lift car not being present.

Although the injuries are described as serious and required hours of surgery, they are not believed to be life-threatening.

Status and recovery details

A spokesperson for the DP World Tour confirmed the golfer withdrew due to injury but cited medical confidentiality regarding further specifics.

Richie Ramsay replaced the Roman-born player in the field at Stellenbosch Golf Club as competition began for the $1.5m (£1.2m) prize fund.

Eurosport commentator Jaeck Pearson has since reported that Pavan remains in a stable condition following the procedure.

‘Freak accident’

Ryan French, who runs the Monday Q Info social media account, shared details of the incident on X.

“According to multiple people Pavan fell down an elevator shaft after the doors opened on the floor he was on but the car itself wasn’t there,” French wrote.

“He fell multiple floors and was badly injured. Although from the people I spoke with, the injuries don’t seem to be life-threatening, he was in surgery for hours.”

Tour context and recent form

Pavan turned professional in 2010 and claimed his maiden Tour success at the D+D Czech Masters eight years later.

He added a second title to his resume the following year by winning the BMW International Open.

The former Challenge Tour number one had recently shown promising form, finishing tied for ninth at the Bahrain Championship earlier this month.

However, he missed the cut at last week’s Qatar Masters prior to travelling to South Africa for this event.