Golf ace Rachel hurt in US crash
Date published: 11 November 2010
ROYTON golfer Rachel Connor was lucky to escape with severe bruising after being involved in a car crash in America.
The 20-year-old, who has just completed her first full season on the Duramed Futures Tour, was driving back from a tournament when she was hit by two vehicles.
Rachel was taken to a local hospital in Orlando, Florida, where she spent a day and a half undergoing tests.
Her father, Brian, said: “I don’t know the full details, because Rachel blacked out, but she was struck side-on by two cars.
“The air bags inflated and, fortunately, it looks as though she has nothing broken. She has been very lucky.
“She has badly bruised her thighs and lower back and I don’t think she’ll be doing much for a month or so.”
Rachel, who attended Our Lady’s School, was a top amateur and finished third in the British Ladies Strokeplay Championship before leaving to join the Futures Tour at the start of the year.
The Tour prepares some of the world’s best women professionals for the challenges of the top-flight LPGA circuit.
Rachel’s best result was a tie for 15th in one of the events, the Historic Brownsville Open, while she recently finished third in a competition on the Sun Coast Golf Tour.
Mr Connor added: “When a policeman telephones at 10pm and asks if you are Rachel Connor’s father, all sorts of different things go through your mind.
“It isn’t as though it took place in Sheffield or Chorley — you can jump in the car and be with her in a short space of time.
“We managed to get a flight for my wife, Gerry, within a day of the accident, but she was then delayed for 18 hours, which removes some of the urgency out of the situation.
“Rachel has driven about 35,000 miles this year, which is a lot more than most people, so there was always a chance that this could happen.”
Rachel is based at the David Leadbetter IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The complex has its own hospital, at which Rachel will receive treatment during her rehabilitation.
