Exclusive:Brave Andrea Pavan opens up for first time on horror lift shaft fall and when he may play golf again

In an exclusive interview with The Scotsman, the likeable Italian heaped praise on Johann Rupert, the South African businessman who does so much for golf, and his wife, Gaynor, for the support they are providing as Pavan patiently waits to fly back to Texas, where his family is based.

A date has now been set for that two-flight journey to be made and the two-time DP World Tour winner is keen to be reunited with his three children, who are currently being looked after by family members as Pavan recovers from his freak accident in an apartment in Stellenbosch as he prepared for the South African Open a fortnight ago.

The 36-year-old is pleased with his progress so far but is braced for some bumps in the road, admitting he has no idea when he might be able to pick up a golf club again and, though determined to do so, just being grateful at the moment to be alive.

Here’s what Pavan had to say in his first interview since the horrible accident, which sent shockwaves through the golf world.

How is your recovery going?

“Look, obviously last week I got out of the hospital and it felt like I had improved enough to get out. When I was in the hospital, I didn’t think I could get out that quickly, I’m still amazed that I was able to. The recovery is day by day. It is progressing well. The doctors were incredible and I had great support. But it is going to be a long recovery and uncertain, for sure, in some areas. I’m here, though, and that is already an amazing thing.”

How does a day pan out for you at the moment in terms of what you can do?

“I can get out of bed myself, though I have to do a logroll from one side to the other. The first few days out of hospital I needed help to sit down and get up from a chair. I’m not recovering only from the surgeries, which went well. There was a lot of bruising and a fractured sacrum, among other things, which you can’t do much about. They call it a simple fracture, but it is very painful to move and do most basic things. My wife is here to help me and, if something drops on the floor, I can’t really get it. I need a grabber or her to pick it up for me. But I am pushing myself. I take a few walks every day. They are very slow, but it is important to do that at this stage as the doctors really want me to walk. Yeah, just having regular meals, sometimes it is tough to sit down for a long time. But, with some extra pillows and a bit of ice, I can get comfortable enough. Again, overall it seems like I am slowly improving, but there is a very long way to go.”

In what way has Johann Rupert and his wife, Gaynor, helped you over the past fortnight or so?

“I mean, it’s been unbelievable the help I have received. From a lot of people, but for sure, from the Rupert family as they have really stepped up for me. When my sister was here for a few days after the accident happened, they offered her accommodation and are now doing the same for my wife and I. They are providing lots of different services. I don’t have to think about meals or laundry, things like that. We are super thankful because they’re things that would be heavy on my wife as it is stuff I can’t do at the moment. The house we are in is beautiful and also very peaceful, which is great when you are facing a recovery like this. When you are in hospital, it’s a tough environment. I haven’t spent much time in hospitals, but the doctors push you to get out while staying healthy at the same time as there’s possible diseases that are around. But, when you are in the hospital, it is tough to sleep due to the fact there is a lot of movement. It’s not a peaceful environment and where I am now is very different, which, for sure, is helping my recovery.”

It might well happen in other sports, but, as we all know, golf people rally around in times of need and this looks to be a great example of that. Do you feel that is the case?

“Look, I have met Mr Rupert a couple of times just to say ‘hello’, but we didn’t have a relationship, so to speak. I knew who he was and had played a lot of times in South Africa, including his event here at Leopard Creek and also the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. He is also so involved on the Sunshine Tour and golf in general. Just to feel that somebody who cares about golf and finds out that you are so hurt in a foreign country and away from home, to step up and help us has been a blessing and we will be forever grateful. At the same time, both tours have been so supportive as well. Ben Cowen (the DP World Tour’s chief tournament and operations officer) is someone I have a good relationship with and also Joel Sjoholm from the DP World Tour Player Relations. They both came to see me the day I got hurt and said to me ‘don’t worry about anything and just try to get better’ because they were helping with the logistics of my sister arriving and then with my wife as well. It was a lot of relief. The Sunshine Tour as well as it was probably Thomas Abt (the circuit’s commissioner) who got Mr Rupert involved and getting the right doctors for the surgery and, luckily for me, they were right here. From a medical standpoint with the accident I had, I felt I had the best possible care I could get in an emergency situation like this.”

Your wife is there with you, but how difficult is it for you now that your fellow Italian players and other DP World Tour players have moved on after the South African Swing?

“Yeah, the first few days in ICU were a bit of a blur. Before the surgeries, I was already in a lot of pain and I am assuming they gave me some pain medication because, although I was in pain, it probably wasn’t the pain I should have felt. To see people come to the hospital - and there were a lot, including players and caddies and even some people I wouldn’t really have expected to be there - was great. It was overwhelming, in fact, to see that support and love in a moment where there was so much uncertainty. I knew the players were going to move on, but we are keeping in touch and I’m trying to keep them up to date on my progress. My wife is here, which is the most important thing right now as she helped me get better and helped me feel as comfortable as I could in the situation.”

You’ve faced up to fights with form at times in your career and always come out on the other side. Obviously this is totally different, but how will that help you during your recovery process?

“In golf in general, it is a very up and down sport. You know, there are guys who are more steady than others in their careers. One thing I’ve always done on the golf course is give it my best. Right now, though, it’s not about golf. It’s about trying to get healthy again and being a dad and a husband. Slowly, we will see how that progresses into golf. I’m going to work as hard as I can and hopefully make a comeback. I don’t know when that will be, but I will leave no stone unturned and give it my best shot.”

Do you have any idea how long it will take you to be back swinging a golf club?

“It is very hard to say. There’s a lot of components. The surgeries went well and I am trying to be optimistic. But it’s all down the road and there are a lot of steps that need to be taken to figure it out. There might be possible other surgeries. It’s just uncertain.”

You said in your update that you felt “God has answered many prayers”. When you say that, do you mean you feel lucky to be alive?

“Yeah, absolutely. When you think about what happened and I am here talking to you, hugging my wife and starting to do normal things. I’m extremely grateful to God, not just in the recovery process, but also the reconnection with old friends, for example, and just the overwhelming support from everyone, truly all over the world. It’s not just in terms of the accident and the process of recovery that I feel lucky but also how this is going to shape my future self and my relationships with friends and people.”

You talked about having to spend five weeks in South Africa after being released from hospital. Will you be heading home to Texas after that?

“Yes, the doctors don’t want me to fly for six weeks post-ops because of the length of the surgery I underwent and the risk of blood clots. Also, the length of the trip I will have to make to get home. If I had to take a three-hour flight, it would probably be different. But, when you are looking at an 11-hour flight to London then another ten to Dallas, it’s a lot and you want to be safe at the other end. We have scheduled a return flight on April 8th, which will get us home on April 9th.

You mentioned being a dad. That must be the toughest thing for you at the moment due to them being in the States and you being thousands of miles away?

“We’ve had so much support at home from close friends, who are trying to involve the kids as much as they can. Just keeping them busy and making sure they have activities to do. We obviously miss them a lot and I am sure they miss us a lot. But my parents are there in Texas with them now, and my wife’s parents live there and have and will take care of them until we are back. They’ve had family with them, which is important. I’ve also had family here; my sister was here the day after the accident. So, it feels good to have that support and that the kids are being taken care of. It’s a tough time for everyone, but, once I am home, I am sure I will be better and be more active and entertain them and enjoy the time with them more than I would possibly right now.”

You probably have to be careful from a legal point of view, but what can you say about the accident?

“You know, a little bit is still difficult to talk about, but I am trying to process it. I guess what I can say is that I fell down a lift shaft in the apartment that I was staying in in Stellenbosch. I opened this door. It was one of those manual lift doors. It was one of those manual lift doors where you pull it and, if it opens, that means the lift is there-but it was not. I was grateful to not lose consciousness when I was lying at the bottom of the shaft and was able to call for help. The firefighters and ambulance came and got me out quite quickly. But it was just so surreal. It was just tough.”

You’ve always been someone that has an ability to light up a room with your smile and, judging by the photographs you shared last week, that’s not changed despite what happened. What does that say about Andrea Pavan?

“Yeah, I think it says that I really feel like I am grateful to be here. Once something so bad like this happens, it opens your eyes and I am enjoying the little steps of progress. There is so much uncertainty in the future, but, right now, I am just locked into the moment and, from day to day, just working on getting better. I know what you are saying about me being someone who smiles a lot, which is nice. A lot of friends who came into the ICU were happy to see me in good spirits and they noticed that has continued. Just like in golf and in life, things go up and down. Right now, I am seeing progress. But, in the long run, I don’t know what lies in store. In the future, I could possibly go through some rough patches if things don’t keep improving. But I am just thankful to be here and overwhelmed by all the support I have received. Yeah, it’s been incredible.”