Country music star Kane Brown is counting his blessings after a freak golf accident left him with 23 stitches, a concussion and a scary reminder of how quickly things can change.
The “Heaven” singer updated fans after revealing he was struck in the head by a golf ball while playing with friends. While Brown initially joked about the painful injury on social media, he later admitted things could have turned out much differently.
According to Page Six, Brown first shared photos of his injured ear on Instagram Stories, including one showing fresh stitches that he captioned, “Just a scratch.” He later revealed on TikTok that he suffered “a slight concussion” and needed 23 stitches, adding, “They said it will prob get worse next 48 hours but I’m alive and that’s all that matters.”
Brown also cleared up what happened, explaining the golf ball didn’t come flying in from another fairway as some fans thought. Instead, it came off the club of one of his own friends, who he said “feels terrible” about the accident. Brown estimated the three-wood shot was traveling between 150 and 180 mph and said he barely had enough time to turn his head before it struck his ear.
Kane Brown Says He’s ‘Just Glad I’m Here’
The 32-year-old said doctors told him his ear was “technically the best possible place” for the ball to hit because the outcome could have been far more serious.
“If it would have been right here… I wouldn’t be here,” Brown said while pointing to the side and back of his head. “I’m just glad I’m here.”
He also encouraged fellow golfers to stay alert, ending his video with, “Y’all be careful out there when playing golf.”
Brown’s injury forced him to miss Tuesday’s Tight Ends & Friends concert in Nashville, where he had been scheduled to perform, per People. Former NFL players Taylor Lewan and Will Compton broke the news to the crowd, sharing that Brown had suffered a concussion and needed 23 stitches after the golf ball accident.
Brown’s wife, Katelyn Brown, later reassured fans that the incident “could have been so much worse.” She explained the ball was hit from close range and wasn’t one that had already been traveling through the air and slowing down. After CT scans, doctors found “nothing internally” and “no skull fractures,” confirming his injuries were limited to external wounds and “a minor concussion.”
Fans Honor Brown After He Misses Nashville Concert
Brown’s absence was also acknowledged during the show.
According to an Instagram Reel from the event, Lewan and Compton asked the audience to join them in a moment of silence after explaining why Brown couldn’t perform. The crowd quietly honored the country star before the concert continued.
The missed appearance came one year after Brown helped kick off the same event. Per Us Weekly, he performed at the 2025 Tight Ends & Friends concert before introducing Taylor Swift’s surprise appearance. Brown later joked on Instagram that he thought he was the night’s “special guest” before Swift unexpectedly walked onstage, writing, “When you think you’re the special guest BUT you’re not 😂.”
This year, Brown was expected to return before the accident sidelined him. Instead, he’s focused on recovering and appreciating the fact that, as he put it himself, “I’m just glad I’m here.”
