Beljan keeps lead despite hospital stay
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.— Doctors told Charlie Beljan he was healthy enough to leave the hospital Saturdaymorning, but perhaps not to play golf. With his job on the line and his name atop the leader board for the first time, the PGA rookie ignored the recommendation and was glad he did.
One day after a panic attack so severe he struggled to breathe and feared for his life, Beljan overcame a pair of early bogeys and carded a 1- under 71 that kept him in the lead in the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic.
“I thought I literally had a chance to die,” said Beljan, who closed with six straight pars to reach 13- under 203.
That gave him a twoshot lead over Brian Gay ( 67), Josh Teater ( 67) and CharlieWi ( 70).
“It’s nice to be able to walk around and smile,” said Beljan, who’s No. 139 on the money list with only the top 125 keeping their cards. “Yesterday, I was hanging on formy life.”
After signing for a 64 on Friday, Beljan emerged from the scoring room strapped into a stretcher and was loaded into an ambulance. For most of the night, he felt 99 percent sure he wouldn’t be playing. Despite being nervous another episode could strike, he was steady much of the day. chance to pass Lewis.
Cristie Kerr was second after a 67 despite getting locked in a bathroom during the round.
“The door just jammed itself shut, and I’m like kicking and kicking trying to open the door and it got locked,” Kerr said. “They had to open it from the other side. I was making a lot of noise thinking they were teeing off.”