An event intended to tee off the 43rd Ryder Cup on a light note did the opposite on Thursday. British actor Tom Felton collapsed during the Celebrity Ryder Cup, an 11-hole tournament preceding the professionals’ event by a day.
After hitting the grass on the 18th hole Felton arose with the help of emergency personnel, got into a stretcher and left the course on a golf cart. Ryder Cup organizers described Felton’s fall as a “medical incident” and said the 34-year-old left to receive treatment at a hospital near Whistling Straits.
Felton was competing on an European squad consisting of himself, Italian soccer icon Alessandro Del Piero, Basketball Hall of Famer Toni Kukoč, former NHL standout Teemu Selänne, actress Stephanie Szostak and two-time NBA champion Sasha Vujačić.
The Americans trotted out former hockey player Mike Eruzione, former Green Bay packers linebacker and Super Bowl champion A.J. Hawk, gold-medal speed skater Dan Jansen, actor Rob Riggle, 11-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater and WWE wrestler Mandy Rose.
Felton has appeared in 52 movies, most notably with eight in the Harry Potter series. He won “best villain” in the 2010 and 2011 MTV Movie Awards for his performance as Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.
The 43rd Ryder Cup between the U.S. and Europe begins Friday at Whistling Straits, as the U.S. will hope to end Europe’s stretch of four wins in the last five tournaments.
