Ronald DeNunzio thanks 'lucky stars,' escapes serious injury from golf ball to head at Westmoreland Amateur

Two days after taking an errant golf ball to his head, Ronald DeNunzio was back at work and feeling fine following a short stay in the hospital.

“I’m good. I’m OK,” the part-owner of DeNunzio Italian Restaurants told TribLive by phone Tuesday morning while making a food delivery to Norwin Town Square Shop ‘n Save.

DeNunzio was struck on the No. 12 hole at Greensburg Country Club on Sunday while playing in the annual Westmoreland County Golf Association Amateur Championship.

After realizing he was bleeding profusely, other golfers came to his rescue, including the unidentified man who hit the ball, and DeNunzio was taken to AHN Hempfield Neighborhood Hospital for treatment of a gash on the top of his head.

Following a CT scan, which was negative, DeNunzio received three surgical staples to close the wound before being released.

“I did take Monday off, but I’m back at work today,” he said. “I had a pretty good headache that night, but I haven’t had much of one since.”

DeNunzio was playing in a group that also included twin brother David DeNunzio — another part-owner of the family’s Jeannette-based business — and Nixen Erdely, a college golfer at Penn West California.

Ronald DeNunzio was sitting in a golf cart on No. 12 while waiting for play to resume when a ball from a player unaffiliated with the tournament on the adjacent No. 9 came whizzing through an opening in a tree line and struck DeNunzio’s skull.

“As soon as I got hit, I thought it was an acorn or a tree branch,” he said. “I didn’t even know where the ball ended up.

“The guy must’ve sliced it from the right. Somehow, that ball found its way through there and clipped me. The guy never saw me because of the trees. When he came over to find his ball, he saw what had happened and was very apologetic. It was purely an accident.”

Naturally, DeNunzio is thankful he wasn’t hurt worse, but he’s disappointed he couldn’t finish a tournament that he’s won twice previously, back-to-back in 2008-09.

He entered Sunday’s final round four strokes behind eventual winner Kevin Fajt.

“I’m just lucky that nothing was injured internally,” Ronald DeNunzio said. “The doctor said it actually hit in a good spot, if there’s such a thing.

“I’ve had so many people who’ve come out to see me. It’s really been an outpouring of care and concern. It’s great to know a lot of people care. It’s something that’s just so nice.”

Despite the ordeal, he said he’s planning to return to Greensburg Country Club this week to play alongside brother David in the 76th Tommy Smith Invitational from Thursday through Sunday.

“My brother and I are a team,” Ronald DeNunzio said.

The two men, both 39, have combined to win the annual event seven times, including four of the past five years.

Fajt won his seventh Westmoreland Amateur title and fourth in the past five years, finishing at 1-under 139 during the two-day event.

Finishing five strokes back in second place was Penn-Trafford product and West Virginia golfer Nicholas Turowski, who is scheduled to compete in next week’s U.S. Amateur Championship at The Olympic Club in San Francisco.

David DeNunzio was third at 146 and Erdely came in fourth at 147.

Ronald DeNunzio, who shot 2-over 72 during Saturday’s first round and was among the leaders more than halfway through Sunday’s final round, said he’s replayed the events of day in his head multiple times, and he’s thankful he came out of it OK.

“When I went into the hospital, I got a little emotional,” he said. “I remember my dad once had a buddy who fell down the steps and hit his head, and he died.

“I’m definitely counting my lucky stars.”