Daniela Holmqvist is a rookie golfer from Sweden and might be considered the toughest on the LPGA tour after finishing her round on Tuesday despite being bitten by a black widow spider on the course.
According to ESPN.com, Holmqvist suffered a bite from the spider in the middle of her round in a pre-qualifier for the LPGA Tour's ISPS Handa Australian Open in Yarralumla. The report says that the spider bit her on her sock line near her ankle and that she felt a sharp pain in her side after knocking away the creature.
"When I told the local caddies in my group what had happened, they got very upset and said it was a Black Widow, and immediately started looking for their phones to call the medics," Holmqvist told Svensk Golf, according to Golf Digest.
To protect herself, Holmqvist took one of her golf tees and cut out the venom from the bite on her leg. The bite swelled up and she took one of her golf tees to cut the wound and sqeeze out the venom. Certain reports say that a black widow bite can kill within an hour depending on where it is.
"It wasn't the prettiest thing I've ever done, but I had to get as much of it out of me as possible," Holmqvist said of her self-performed surgery. She said that the bite was not like being stung by another bug but "rather like being stabbed by a knife.
Holmqvist refused to drop out or withdraw from the tournament and toughed it out to finish the round, shooting a 74, meaning she did not make the cut for the tournament. Medical staff members came to her after the bite, but she decided to remain in play for the tournament.
"It still hurts," Holmqvist said Tuesday night. "I don't recommend getting bitten by a Black Widow."
The black widow spider is known for killing its male after mating. Holmqvist was formerly a golfer at the University of California.
