Contra Costa Times
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Clint Eastwood made the day of AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am executive Steve John on Wednesday night. He may have saved his life in the process.
The 83-year-old actor/director performed the Heimlich maneuver on the tournament director at a volunteer dinner, the Carmel Pine Cone initially reported Thursday.
“A piece of cheese went in my mouth, and suddenly I couldn’t breathe,” John told the newspaper. “It was as bad as it could have been. But Clint came up behind me and he knew exactly what to do. He did the Heimlich maneuver and he lifted me right off the ground.”
Eastwood, the former mayor of Carmel and a part owner of the Pebble Beach Golf Links, had only practiced the Heimlich in the past.
“I gave him three good jolts, and that got it out,” Eastwood said. “The look on Steve’s face was different than when somebody is just coughing or joking around. I looked in his eyes and saw that look of panic people have when they see their life passing before their very eyes. It looked bad.”
John, 50, is a longtime area businessman and golf enthusiast who was named CEO of the Monterey Golf Foundation in 2011. Among his myriad duties, he oversees the PGA Tour event that’s taking place this week in Pebble Beach.
As part of the ownership group, Eastwood helped select John to his current post. Now John is even more indebted to him.
“Clint saved my life,” John said. “He’s strong. The cheese popped out, and I was fine.”
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