Bill Haas was involved in a car accident that killed the driver of his vehicle on Tuesday night, but the 2012 Genesis Open champion escaped serious injury.
Haas was due to play at Riviera this week but has withdrawn to return home.
A statement released by the PGA Tour and Haas’ Players Group Management said:
‘Last night in Pacific Palisades, California, Bill Haas was involved in a serious car accident in which the driver – a member of the family with whom Haas and his family were staying for the Genesis Open – was killed. While Bill escaped serious injuries and has been released from the hospital, he is understandably shaken up and – more importantly – his deepest condolences go out to the host family during this tragic and difficult time.
‘Bill will withdraw from the Genesis Open and plans to head home to Greenville to recover. He appreciates the support of friends, family and the golf world as a whole, and he has asked for privacy as he processes what has happened.’
According to Los Angeles Fire Department rescue reports, the accident happened in the 500 block of N. Chautauqua Boulevard around 6:30pm local time on Tuesday. It was a two-car collision with a rollover, with 35-year-old Haas a passenger in a car. He and the driver of the other car, a 50-year-old female, were transported to a local hospital, with fire department officials reporting both in serious condition.
Footage from Los Angeles television station KTLA showed the car Haas was in, a Ferrari, mangled on the sidewalk. L.A. police department detective Jeff Fischer told KTLA that a third car – a Toyota SUV owned by actor Luke Wilson – was clipped by the Ferrari.
The KTLA report noted that police were looking into the cause of the crash and that surveillance footage from a local private residence may provide clues.
Bill’s father Jay Haas told the Golf Channel that his son was ‘very fortunate’ to avoid serious harm.
