Golf

‘I'm About to Pass Out': Florida Golfer's Caddie Nearly Faints From Extreme Heat at Tokyo Olympics

Olympic golfer Lexi Thompson said she's "from Florida and this heat is pretty ridiculous"

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KAWAGOE, JAPAN – AUGUST 04: Lexi Thompson of Team United States and caddie Jack Fulghum stand on the third green during the first round of the Women’s Individual Stroke Play on day twelve of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Kasumigaseki Country Club on August 04, 2021 in Kawagoe, Japan. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

Temperatures in Tokyo are so extreme, even a native Floridian is feeling the heat.

Golfer Lexi Thompson, who hails from Coral Springs, said temperatures got so bad, her caddie Jack Fulghum had to be helped off the course during round one of women's golf at the Tokyo Olympics.

"I didn't know he was struggling that bad until about number 15," she said. "He asked me, 'Do I look white to you?' and I'm like 'No.' He said: 'I'm about to pass out.'"

Being from the Sunshine State, Thompson is used to scorching temperatures and humidity, she said. But the conditions in Tokyo have been oppressive.

"I'm from Florida and this heat is pretty ridiculous," she noted.

Extreme heat and humidity were also major issues during the tennis competition, track and field events and equestrian competitions. The Swedish and Canadian women’s soccer teams have asked that the gold-medal match in Tokyo on Friday be moved to a different time because of heat. The match is scheduled for 11 a.m. and temperatures are expected to be in the upper 90s with high humidity that could feel like over 100 degrees.

Thompson said Fulghum is an "amazing person" and she hopes he is getting the vitamins and nutrients he needs.

"It's just scary," she said. "I'm ever so grateful that I have him on the bag, grateful for any caddie, for that matter, but he's an amazing person. I just hope that he's healthy right now."

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