News
Risk assessment agency: Golfers should be wearing protective helmets
With thousands of dollars paid out each year in claims from head injuries sustained on the golf course from stray golf balls, there is now a new initiative that proposes that all golfers should wear helmets while on the course.
Statistics show that between 16 and 41 percent of amateur golfers are injured each year from errant golf balls. These accidents leading to both insurance claims and time lost at work. As GolfPunk originally reported, that has prompted businesses to lobby for tighter safety measures on the course.
Chris Hall, a spokesperson for the health and safety and employment agency Protecting.co.uk, spoke about the need for greater protection on the golf course — citing the protective helmets used by rugby players as one example.
“If you look at a selection of other sports played in the UK, both contact and non-contact, there are measures in place to reduce injury. For example, many amateur and lower-league rugby clubs insist on protective helmets; martial arts classes provide pads for their students – and this is not just to prevent injury. It’s because financially, it makes sense for clubs (and their insurers) to prove they’ve reduced harm wherever possible.”
Research shows that golf had an injury rate of 1.8 per 1,000 participants while rugby’s injury rate was 1.5 per 1,000. Perhaps more poignant is the fact that the demographic breakdown of golfers leans towards men in their 40s and 50s, of which many make up a large proportion of managerial and director-level employees — in other words, people companies can’t afford to have out of work.
Despite the farfetchedness of the thought of golfers having to wear helmets on the golf course in the future, Hall suggested that there is a distinct possibility that the idea could be implemented, once more stressing the importance for greater safety measures within the sport.
“Public safety campaigns are crucial to changing the status quo. Cyclists are aware that helmet use is recommended. With enough support from insurers, businesses and health & safety professionals, a similar scenario could happen with golfers.”
So, GolfWRXers, there you have it. How would you feel about wearing a helmet while enjoying your round of golf? Do the stats change your opinion?
With the second major of 2026 now behind us, the PGA Tour arrives in Texas for the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
GolfWRX Tour Photographer, Greg Moore, is on site at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, and he’s already captured several WITBs and a look at some new colorways of just-spotted L.A.B. Golf VZN.1i putters.
Check out links to all our photos below.
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See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.
Aaron Rai upset the odds to win his first major championship on Sunday at Aronimink, firing a final round of 5-under par to see off his competitors and claim the winner’s check for $3,690,000.
Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley were the best of the chasing pack, with both men sharing runner-up spot which was good enough for each to receive a check for $1,804,000.
With a total prize purse of $20.5 million up for grabs, here’s a look at how much each player won at the 2026 PGA Championship.
Players who missed the PGA Championship cut each received $4,300 each.
1: Aaron Rai, $3,690,000
T2 : Jon Rahm, $1,804,000
T2 : Alex Smalley, $1,804,000
T4: Justin Thomas, $843,866
T4: Ludvig Aberg, $843,866
T4: Matti Schmid, $843,866
T7: Cameron Smith, $637,050
T7: Rory McIlroy, $637,050
T7: Xander Schauffele, $637,050
T10: Kurt Kitayama, $496,707
T10: Chris Gotterup, $496,707
T10: Justin Rose, $496,707
T10: Patrick Reed, $496,707
T14: Matt Fitzpatrick, $364,762
T14: Scottie Scheffler, $364,762
T14: Max Greyserman, $364,762
T14: Ben Griffin, $364,762
T18: Maverick McNealy, $229,128
T18: Jordan Spieth, $229,128
T18: Stephan Jaeger, $229,128
T18: Padraigh Harrington, $229,128
T18: David Puig, $229,128
T18: Harris English, $229,128
T18: Min Woo Lee, $229,128
T18: Joaquin Niemann, $229,128
T26: Nick Taylor, $125,523
T26: Alex Noren, $125,523
T26: Cameron Young, $125,523
T26: Andrew Novak, $125,523
T-26: Daniel Hiller, $125,523
T26: Tom Hoge, $125,523
T26: Sam Burns, $125,523
T26: Hideki Matsuyama, $125,523
T26: Bud Cauley, $125,523
T35: Christiaan Bezuidenhout, $78,805
T35: Patrick Cantlay, $78,805
T35: Ryo Hisatsune, $78,805
T35: Daniel Berger, $78,805
T35: Ryan Fox, $78,805
T35: Haotong Li, $78,805
T35: Aldrich Potgieter, $78,805
T35: Si Woo Kim, $78,805
T35: Martin Kaymer, $78,805
T44: Chris Kirk, $53,743
T44: Matt Wallace, $53,743
T44: Shane Lowry, $53,743
T44: Jhonattan Vegas, $53,743
T44: Denny McCarthy, $53,743
T44: Chandler Blachet, $53,743
T44: Taylor Pendrith, $53,743
T44: Dustin Johnson, $53,743
T44: Nicolai Hojgaard, $53,743
T44: Michael Kim, $53,743
T44: Kristoffer Reitan, $53,743
T55: Collin Morikawa, $34,186
T55: Corey Conners, $34,186
T55: Andrew Putnam, $34,186
T55: Brooks Koepka, $34,186
T55: Mikael Lindberg, $34,186
T60: Sami Valimaki, $29,218
T60: Sahith Theegala, $29,218
T60: Rico Hoey, $29,218
T60: Rickie Fowler, $29,218
T60: Brian Harman, $29,218
T65: Casey Jarvis, $26,900
T65: Jason Day, $26,900
T65: Rasmus Hojgaard, $26,900
T65: Keith Mitchell, $26,900
T65: Sam Stevens, $26,900
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Jamie
Nov 5, 2018 at 11:31 am
When Bryson shows up on Tour with a helmet and a short bus, I’ll consider it. Thanks for the laugh.
Tony Dyck
Nov 5, 2018 at 10:58 am
Dumbest article I’ve seen on WRX.
We can report posters for bad behaviour, but unfortunately there is no method for reporting absolute junk articles posted by WRX.
Tiger Noods
Nov 4, 2018 at 11:19 pm
A 41% injury rate is slightly higher than the casualty rate for Marines at Iwo Jima. (https://www.quora.com/What-were-the-average-soldiers-odds-of-surviving-WWII)
TRUMP 2020
Nov 4, 2018 at 10:10 pm
Like riding a bicycle, you’re going to get racked sooner or later. Its just part of it.
Aztec
Nov 4, 2018 at 7:49 pm
Is the injury rate of 1.8 out of 1000 just head injuries or all injuries? Does it only include injuries incurred by errant golf balls or injuries caused by anything encountered while playing golf? How many of these injuries would be prevented by the use of a helmet? Without clarification, this article lacks credibility and, frankly, is a bad attempt at being relevant.
Brad
Nov 3, 2018 at 4:34 am
ROFL when I read the line that read “between 16 and 41 percent”….What, the authors of this study can’t do math well enough to narrow their probabilities to within less than 25 percent variance?
Funny enough, this study also showed that aerobics had the highest injury rate at 5.3 per 1,000 per year. What out Richard Simmons, they’ll be making you wear a stack hat as well soon…
B. Ferguson
Nov 3, 2018 at 12:35 am
After that poor woman lost her eye on an errant drive recently, you’d need a full-face motorcycle helmet with a windscreen to feel safe.
Hmmm . . . maybe I should keep a life jacket beside my bathtub, too.
James
Nov 2, 2018 at 4:57 pm
Can’t wait to see Rickie in an orange helmet! Tiger in red on Sunday.
joel jolicoeur
Nov 2, 2018 at 3:50 pm
I hope you did not pay Gianni for this.
Brandon
Nov 2, 2018 at 8:07 pm
They shouldn’t pay that guy anything ever.
A. Comoner
Nov 2, 2018 at 3:32 pm
What a load of manure!! Complete waste.
chp
Nov 2, 2018 at 3:23 pm
If all vehicular speed limits were reduce to a 5 mph maximum, there would be fewer injuries as well
PJ
Nov 2, 2018 at 2:56 pm
Is it April 1st?
DB
Nov 2, 2018 at 2:16 pm
Research, statistics, and SCIENCE! … No thanks. I would like to live my life as an actual human. I’m not wearing a helmet to play golf.
STOP IT
Nov 2, 2018 at 1:37 pm
Please wear a helmet in a LOS ANGELES or any So Cal golf course, even better a driving range and see what happens.. PLEASE TEST THIS HERE! We need someone to make fun of and laugh drunk and high during these 6 hour rounds.
Samuel Jackson MmmMMM
Nov 2, 2018 at 1:08 pm
Sorry but this story lost me when it started comparing injury rates between rugby and golf… Who ever came up with this concept just lost ALL their credibility comparing the two.
Lynn Hall
Nov 2, 2018 at 12:20 pm
‘Statistics show that between 16 and 41 percent of amateur golfers are injured each year from errant golf balls.’ then I read ‘Research shows that golf had an injury rate of 1.8 per 1,000 participants’ … Uh, is this British math ?
Scott
Nov 3, 2018 at 10:54 pm
I can not figure out how i only know a couple of people that have been hit when 41% of all golfers have been plunked.