Former double Open winner Ernie Els was left visibly shaken when an errant drive at the opening hole cannoned straight into the face of a male spectator.

The adult spectator immediately fell to the ground with blood pouring out of a facial wound.

“I hit the guy right in the face and there was blood everywhere,” said Els.

“I felt pretty bad about it because I was trying to hit it, left which I did but then I should have asked for the people down the left to be moved, but I  didn’t do that.

“So I really felt bad hitting it there into the crowd.”

It was clear the incident affected the affable South African who took a triple at the first but then after carelessly trying to back hand a shot into the hole.

And with Els no doubt still thinking about the incident at the first he quickly slumped to seven over par after nine holes.

“Something like this has never happened to me before although I have hit spectators on the back of legs or the back but nothing as serious as this,” he said.

However there was a lighter incident on the 18th tee involving Els when a black coloured frog appeared from grass on the right side of the tee.

With Els and his two playing partners having to wait for the fairway to clear, Els moved forward to try and coax the frog into grass on the left side of the tee.

And after plenty of coaxing with his driver and his hand Els managed to see the frog back into saftey.

Unfortunately, Els then leaked his tee shot left and over the fixed barricades.  He sought the advice of a rules official accompanying the group with a view to having the posts removed but was informed they were ‘fixed’ and that he wanted relief he would have to take a penalty drop.

Els elected to play the ball from the spectator path on route to a  disappointing round of a seven over par 79.

Ernie Els coaxing a frog off the 18th tee.