PGA rookie Charlie Beljan was hospitalised with shortness of breath and an elevated heart rate Friday after firing an eight-under par 64 to seize the lead at the final event of the US PGA season.
Australian Matt Jones kept his hopes of a tour card alive by shooting his way into a share of second place with six others.
Beljan, a 28-year-old American fighting to keep his playing rights for 2013 in this season’s final event, stood on 12-under par 132 with a three-shot lead after the second round of the $US4.7 million ($A4.54 million) event in Florida.
But during a five-hour round in which he told caddie Rick Adcox that he thought his life was about to end, Beljan learned from paramedics that his blood pressure was high and he had to sit down on several occasions.
“He was scared,” Adcox said. “He kept saying he thought he was going to die. It was spooky.”
Seconds after signing his scorecard, Beljan was put on a stretcher and loaded onto an ambulance just off the 18th green at the Disney complex’s Palm course and taken to Celebration Hospital for tests.
“I thought they were going to stop him on 10 when they told him what the blood pressure was,” the caddy said.
“He just said, ‘I’m going to keep going until either I pass out or they take me off.’ I kept saying, ‘It doesn’t matter to me. It’s only a golf tournament. You’ve got many more.'”
Beljan said late Friday night he plans to play in Saturday’s third round.
“As long as they tell me I’m not going to fall over and die,” Beljan told The Golf Channel. “I’m hoping it was just a panic attack.”
Beljan began the week at 139th on the US PGA Tour money list with $US527,528 ($A509,123) and needing to jump into the top 125 of the season prize money chart to keep his playing rights for next season.
Winning the tournament would bring a top prize of $US846,000 ($A816,000) and take Beljan to 65th on the money list.
It would likely take a top-10 finish to end his year in the top 125.
Jones, who fired a 64 for his low round of the year, shares second place with six others three shots behind Beljan.
Jones started the tournament with only a slim chance of securing a guaranteed place on the tour next season, sitting in 192nd on the money list with $US250,800 earned for the year – and needing a big result to jump into the top 125.
“Better late than never,” Jones said. “Hopefully we can keep going.”
Fellow Australian Stuart Appleby remains a long way off the pace, backing up his opening round 74 with a second-round 68 to be two under for the tournament and 10 shots off the lead, while Rod Pampling and Robert Allenby missed the cut.
Sharing second with Jones were Japan’s Ryuji Imada, South Korean Charlie Wi, Sweden’s Henrik Stenson and Americans Harris English, Mark Anderson and Charles Howell.
“One good weekend can mean a lot. It can turn your whole year around,” Imada said. “I’m in position to do that, but still got a long ways to go. I’ve had an awful year this year, so no expectations. Just going to go out and play hard.”
AFP-AAP jb/gjw
