A fan who was left bloodied after being struck by Travis Kelce‘s golf ball at a celebrity golf tournament this month has admitted she almost ‘blacked out’ after speaking out on the incident.
Katie Hauss, 37, was enjoying a day at the American Century Championship on Lake Tahoe with her husband when she was hit in the head by a wayward shot from Kelce, leaving her with ‘a lot of blood’ and in need of medical attention.
Footage showed the three-time Super Bowl winner comforting her as she received treatment on the course, before she was able to return to her feet and make her way off the course accompanied by staff.
And in an interview with PEOPLE, Hauss has opened up on her ordeal and how it played out that day on Lake Tahoe.
‘When I put my hand to the back of my head there was a lot of blood,’ she said. ‘When I got hit, I immediately felt pain. I was just trying to focus on not blacking out, and at that point I didn’t really know what had happened.
A fan Travis Kelce struck with his ball at a celebrity golf tournament has spoken out
‘I then heard people start yelling and screaming that it was Travis Kelce’s golf shot, and “Oh my god, that girl just got hit in the head.”
‘I tried to stay really calm and told my husband that I thought I was ok, it just hurt really bad. Then when I put my hand to my head there was a lot of blood. I knelt down to try and get my bearings and then a Good Samaritan — he must have been a doctor or a first responder of some sort — came over and immediately applied pressure to the wound on my head.
‘He told me stay still and that they were calling for the EMTs. I am just so appreciative to that man for helping me, a complete stranger, and I wish I could thank him for his kindness.’
Hauss says that both Travis and brother Jason instantly made their way down the green after she was hit in the head, with the latter said to have been ‘genuinely concerned’ and asking her multiple times if she was ok.
Travis is then said to have joked that the least he could do is get a photo with the spectator, with the pair posing together for a snap after their unfortunate encounter.
Hauss added: ‘Travis said that he couldn’t bring himself to smile given the circumstances. I honestly felt bad for him, because I know that it was a total accident, and that can’t feel good to do that with a huge crowd looking on.’
Kelce accidentally hit a spectator during the 2024 American Century Championship
After the fan was left with ‘a lot of blood’, both Travis and brother Jason are said to have checked to make sure she was ok
After being advised by medical officials to go to the hospital to ensure she didn’t have a fracture or internal bleeding, Hauss did exactly that before tests revealed she had a concussion and needed stitches.
Over a week on from the incident she is on the mend and is already feeling ‘much better’.
Kelce was on the 16th hole at the Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course when his drive struck Hauss in the back of her head, with the Kansas City Chiefs tight end one of several high-profile figures taking part in the celebrity tournament that week.
Incredibly, before playing in the event Travis actually offered Jason some prescient advice during an episode of their New Heights podcast.
‘This is my first time out in Lake Tahoe, do you have any advice?’ Jason asked his brother.
‘My advice would be don’t feel bad if you hit somebody because they bought the ticket,’ Travis joked.
‘It’s a bunch of amateurs out there trying to play golf so don’t feel bad,’ Travis continued. ‘People have been hit before. They got EMTs, whatever it’s called, they got right there at every hole. Everybody will be fine.’
