Our golf writer was hit by a shot at the U.S. Women’s Open

(Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports)

By Steve DiMeglio, USA TODAY Sports

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. – I’ve dodged golf balls with unblemished success for seven years now covering professional golf, from both inside and outside the gallery ropes.

That streak ended Thursday. Thanks to Suzann Pettersen.

With sunshine above and the Atlantic in the distance, the morning couldn’t have been going much better as the top three players in the world – No. 1 Inbee Park, No. 2 Stacy Lewis and No. 3 Pettersen – were playing in the marquee group during the first round of the U.S. Women’s Open.

But standing just to the left of the green at the 14th hole, just outside the gallery ropes, the morning turned painful with one shot. Pettersen, from about 160 yards, pulled her approach shot. Lewis’ father, Dale, was standing in a crowd of about 20 and yelled, “It’s coming right at us.”

I couldn’t pick up the ball in the blue sky, so I turned, saw everyone moving in every direction, and decided to stand where I was. I put my back to the fairway and my hands over my head and just waited. The next sound, however, was a thud that even Lewis, in the fairway near Pettersen, heard. The ball hit the lower right side of my back on the fly, just to the right of my rib cage, and bounced away from trouble.

Pettersen didn’t realize she had hit someone in the gallery, for she turned away in disgust after hitting the shot and didn’t even watch. And Lewis wasn’t about to tell her that she had hit me, for you don’t go near Pettersen when she is on the angry side.

The ball wound up just short of heavy grass that would have nearly made her next shot unplayable. Instead, she made a terrific up-and-down to save par and moved on to the next tee oblivious to my pain.

Quickly, a welt grew the size of a softball on my back. I suspect there is a dark bruise, as well. There’s just minor pain now, but a memory forever.

Pettersen’s caddie told her she had hit me when the two were standing on the 18th tee. Pettersen saw I was OK and smiled. Then she laughed. She often makes fun of my lack of height. Now she’ll make fun of this, too.

USA TODAY Sports’ Steve DiMeglio stands between Tiger Woods (right) and Joe LaCava (wearing hat) at the 2013 Players Championship (AP/Gerald Herbert)