LPGA Australian open: Kangaroos and Spiders

So much was made of the kangaroos that interrupted the LPGA Australian Open, on Thursday, that the news about the Black Widow spider barely made a ripple. I'm sure if it had been Karrie Webb who'd been bitten, the tabloid editors would have had pun-induced raptures, splashing it all across the back pages. But no, it was a golfer by the name of Daniela Holmqvist, a 24 year old Swedish rookie who was bitten.

The Black Widow - or Redback as it's known is Australia - injects neurotoxin latrotoxin into its victims. What does this venom do? Oh, not a lot. A headache, dizziness, muscle cramps, renal failure, coma, death. 

From what I've read, if it was a female that had bitten her, things would have been far more serious as its venom is three times more potent than the male's. 

That said, I doubt Daniela was in the position to ask what sex of spider was biting her when it attacked her leg on the 4th hole.

No spider was hurt during the taking of this photograph.

What did Daniela do? She grabs a tee and uses it to dig out the venom.

"A clear fluid came out," Holmqvist said. "It wasn't the prettiest thing I've ever done but I had to get as much of it out of me as possible."

Holmqvist was checked out by medics who cleared her to carry on playing.

Respect!