McKINNEY, Texas — There’s not much that fazes Dottie Pepper, who has a pair of majors, 17 LPGA titles and decades of broadcast journalism on her impressive resume.
But even Pepper giggled nervously on Saturday after she was nearly struck by a ball during the third round of the PGA Tour’s AT&T Byron Nelson while watching a group that included leaders Alex Noran and Sam Burns.
Noran pushed a drive a bit to the right at TPC Craig Ranch, and the ball nearly clipped Pepper as it went by.
Pepper, who lives in Saratoga Springs, New York, and is married to occasional Golfweek contributor David Normoyle, brushed it off.
“Almost got me,” Pepper said. “Don’t flinch. I didn’t.”
Heads up, Dottie Pepper.
pic.twitter.com/BuCrEhSFat
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 15, 2021
Pepper later joked she might wear a helmet next. She joined CBS Sports as a reporter and analyst in 2016 and was elevated to the role of lead on-course reporter for the 2020 season. She has also worked for the Golf Channel, NBC, Sports Illustrated and ESPN.