A Swarm of Bees Created Total Chaos at PGA Tour Event in Mexico

Forces of nature often interrupt golf tournaments, but this disturbance was on another level.

As a sport that is subject to the ebbs and flows of the environment, golfers often run into strange obstacles on the course. From alligators to gale force winds, the unpredictability of the outdoors is just part of the game. 

On Thursday at the PGA Tour’s Mexico Open, however, a few players were bombarded with a rather unusual force of nature, sending them into a hilarious state of panic.

Golf Channel cameras caught Erik van Rooyen preparing to hit his approach shot at Vidanta Vallarta when he was suddenly engulfed in a swarm of bees. 

The bees themselves aren’t visible on camera, but in the background of the clip you can make out a voice repeating, “Bees. Bees. Bees. Bees,” as the South African golfer suddenly crouches down to the ground. 

The cameraman himself then runs to the side of the fairway, ducking down along with the rest of van Rooyen’s group, which included Francesco Molinari and Chez Reavie. 

"I have never seen anything like that."

A swarm of bees was probably not something @FredVR_ and crew saw coming @MexicoOpenGolf 😅 pic.twitter.com/4RjzysQ5qx

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 27, 2023

“Guys, I’m lucky. I’m about 150 yards away. I’ve never seen this before,” said Golf Channel's on-course reporter. 

Thankfully, it appeared as though no golfers or bystanders were stung by the terrifying swarm. 

Announcers described it as a “fog of bees” that suddenly “blew through” the area. Other than its alarming presence, the pack of flying insects did not seem to cause any further disturbance to the tournament.