Laporta pays tribute to injured Andrea Pavan at halfway stage in South Africa
Francesco Laporta told reporters he is going to visit Andrea Pavan this afternoon after taking the 36-hole lead at the Investec South African Open Championship.
Position | Player | Score |
1 | Francesco Laporta | -10 |
2 | Nathan Kimsey | -9 |
3 | Dean Burmester | -8 |
4 | Joe Dean | -7 |
4 | Hennie du Plessis | -7 |
6 | Rikuya Hoshino | -6 |
6 | Alejandro del Rey | -6 |
8 | Branden Grace | -5 |
8 | Johannes Veerman | -5 |
8 | Herman Loubser | -5 |
8 | Kiradech Aphibarnrat | -5 |
Francesco Laporta says it has been "a tricky few days" after snatching the 36-hole lead at the Investec South Afrian Open Championship.
Laporta, 35, added a six-under 64 to his opening 66 at Stellenbosch GC on Friday to lead by one from England's Nathan Kimsey at the halfway stage.
Home hopes Dean Burmester, Hennie Du Plessis and Branden Grace are also inside the top-10.
But for Laporta, his mind was on compatriot Andrea Pavan, who sustained multiple serious injuries after falling three stories down an elevator shaft on Wednesday in a freak accident.
Pavan, 36, was rushed to hospital and spent six hours in surgery with significant injuries to his shoulder and back, including several fractures to his vertebrae.
According to MondayQInfo, it occurred after he pressed the button, realised he had forgotten something from his room and, when he returned, the cart had been called to another floor but the door didn't fully close.
A GoFundMe page has been set up by his former college teammate to help pay for his medical bills and his former coach said the golfer is in "good spirits" by all accounts.
His wife Audra is travelling to South Africa to be by his side. It is understood he will remain in the country for at least six weeks and will need additional surgeries.
On Friday afternoon, Pavan released a statement thanking those who had reached out for support.
"The last two days have been difficult, but I am in very good hands and to have so many players, caddies and staff visit and contact me has meant a lot to me," he said.
Laporta told Sky Sports that it has been "a tricky couple of days".
"Luckily, he is fine, so we are all happy about that," said Laporta.
"That is the most important thing. He can talk, he can walk, he can do many things.
"It was a very bad accident. It was shocking for everyone. I can’t even imagine how it was for him.
"But we are very happy that he is okay. I am going to see him this afternoon and tomorrow, having also went yesterday. We are trying to offer him all the support we can.
"We are just hoping that everything is going well and just looking forward to seeing him on the course again.
"Sometimes it is tough to explain but everyone is happy about his condition."
Laporta said he believed Pavan can make a full recovery.
"He will be back, for sure," he said. "He is a strong guy. We just need to wait for him."
The Investec South African Championship is the penultimate event of the International Swing.
This week's winner will receive an invitation to play in the 2026 Masters.
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