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Badly injured: Jesper Parnevik almost severed his right index finger trying to pull his boat from the water

Freak boating accident puts eccentric Swede’s future in golf in jeopardy

Three-time Ryder Cup player Jesper Parnevik is facing a battle to save his career after almost severing his right index finger in a freak boating accident.

The 47-year-old Swede, a winner of 14 titles in 26 years as a professional, caught his hand in a motorised boat winch last week whilst trying to bring the vessel out of the water.

He underwent surgery last week to repair the damage and is facing four months of rehabilitation but there is no guarantee he will be able to return to the game.

“When I saw the edges of the machine, I was 100% sure that I lost all the fingers. I was terrified,” said Parnevik. “The doctor thinks that it will be good, but it can take a hell of a time. I think that you cannot do so damn much without the right hand. It is quite important, not just in golf.”

Parnevik’s career has been dogged by injuries over the past few years. He underwent hip surgery in 2000 and again in 2009. In 2010, he underwent emergency surgery on his back after discovering that he had a broken lumbar vertrebrae that could have ended his career.

After his recovery, he played the 2011 PGA Tour on a fully-exempt status for being in the top 50 of the tour’s career money leaders. He has been playing this season on a medical extension.

The eccentric Parnevik turned professional in 1986 and won his first title at the 1993 Bell’s Scottish Open, winning by five shots from the late Payne Stewart.

His most recent victory came in the 2001 Honda Classic on the PGA Tour.

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Bryce Ritchie is the Editor of bunkered and, in addition to leading on content and strategy, oversees all aspects of the brand. The first full-time journalist employed by bunkered, he joined the company in 2001 and has been editor since 2009. A member of Balfron Golfing Society, he currently plays off nine and once got a lesson from Justin Thomas’ dad.

Editor of bunkered

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