Ben Johns hitting a pickleball backhand dink.
Ben Johns competing at the SXY Newport Beach Open in Newport Beach, CA.  PPA Tour

Ben Johns nearly struck by stray golf ball in Newport Beach

There are several terms that one might hear on a pickleball court.

‘0-0-2,’ ‘ATP,’ ‘Erne,’ and ‘Bert,’ are just a few, but ‘Fore!’ might need to be added to the list after a bizarre moment from last week’s SXY Newport Beach Open.

During a timeout in the second game of the men’s doubles semifinal between Ben Johns/Gabe Tardio and Federico Staksrud/Andrei Daescu, an errant golf ball came flying in from a nearby course and nearly struck an unsuspecting Johns at full speed.  

 

Despite the near brush with disaster, Johns didn’t let the moment impact his play as he and Tardio closed out their victory a few minutes later.

“I was only thinking, ‘Somebody’s worse at golf than I am,’” he told Pickleballtv’s Ireland Horvat afterwards.  “I mean, that green is pretty far away.”

Johns would go on to finish his week with gold medals in both men’s doubles and mixed doubles.

Now, the 26-year-old is in Dallas for this week’s Veolia Texas Open presented by Proton.

And, fortunately for him, there aren’t any golf courses near the venue.