You’ve heard the old cliché that “couples that play together, stay together,” but it rarely applies to golf. This could be for any number of reasons—maybe she plays too slow, maybe he uses iron covers—but often your ideal partner in life isn’t your ideal partner on the golf course.
Just ask ESPN NFL reporter Michelle Beisner-Buck and her husband, MNF play-by-play announcer Joe Buck. On Wednesday , Beisner-Buck underwent surgery on her broken right ankle, which was shattered in July when struck by errant drive from her own husband. Yes, really.
More ESPN injury news: @MichelleBeisner underwent surgery today to repair nerve damage in her fractured ankle that occurred during a freak accident when her husband Joe accidentally drove a golf ball into it, per sources. “Getting ready to roll back,” Beisner-Buck texted. pic.twitter.com/B5Chjw1amd
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 11, 2024
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Crazy story? Absolutely. But just wait, it gets even stranger. According to a video posted on Michelle’s Instagram page ahead of her surgery, the tee shot from hell took place on July 7th in Cabo San Lucas. Joe was preparing for the American Century Championship and the couple figured they’d go play a few holes while their kids were being supervised. They got through the front nine without incident, and decided to play one more hole before heading In to grab a bite to eat. Big mistake.
On the 10th hole, Beisner-Buck—who Joe says had been known to do headstands during “the course of their courtship and marriage”—decided to perch herself upside down to the left of the tee box. Buck tee’d up his ball and let fly, but unfortunately at that very moment Michelle decided to do the splits, and the ball struck the inside of her right ankle, shattering it on impact.
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Beisner-Buck spent the next six weeks in a hard cast and another two-and-a-half in a walking boot repairing the bone. Unfortunately, the damage to her tibial nerve, which runs through the ankle bone and into the foot, has proven more stubborn. After trying nerve blockers and lidocaine infusions to restore blood flow to her ankle, Beisner-Buck eventually opted for surgery in hopes to regain full use of her right foot.
If this sounds like a nightmare to you, you’re not alone. The legendary broadcaster says he still wakes up in the middle of night hearing the sickening sound of his ball striking his wife’s ankle, which Beisner-Buck likened to THAT scene in ‘Misery.’ She makes clear that the incident was a “freak accident” and not her husband’s fault, but it’s still a welcome reminder to never pull the trigger when someone is downrange, especially if it’s your wife.
Anyway, we hope Michelle makes a full recovery and that this doesn’t spell the end of the couple’s playing days together, but no one would blame if they booked separate tee times from here on out.
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This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
