Brooks Koepka says he is “heartbroken” that one of his tee shots at the Ryder Cup resulted in a spectator losing the sight in one eye and described finding out as “one of the worst days of my life”.

One of the American’s drives on the opening day of the tournament hit Corine Remande in the crowd, and she later said the impact caused “a fracture of the right eye-socket and an explosion of the eyeball”.

Spectator loses sight in eye after being hit by Brooks Koepka shot at Ryder Cup Read more

“I was deeply hurt and saddened by the tragic accident,” he tweeted. “I have made contact with her family to offer my sincere and heartfelt sympathy.”

Speaking on Wednesday at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, he added: “I hit the golf ball and it’s upsetting. It really is. Just because I hit a golf ball, someone lost the sight in their eye. If you break it down to the heart of it, it’s not a good feeling.

“Yesterday was probably one of the worst days of my life. I haven’t had too many tragedies in my personal family where there’s been a loss or any kind of tragic accident so I’ve been lucky in that sense.

“I wasn’t told until I got to the course – I’m not the biggest person on social media – so when I got here and had about seven missed calls and 25 text messages I was like: ‘What’s going on? Then I was told the news and obviously I am really heartbroken.

“My stomach sank. Yesterday was probably one of the hardest days trying to focus and play golf just knowing what was going to come when I was done. I spent an hour and a half of my round on the phone trying to understand what was going on because it’s hard to get the real story of what was going on. I didn’t know if it was fake or not and you want to find out. It’s sad and I really am torn up about it.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Corine Remande said she was taking legal action against the Ryder Cup’s organisers after losing sight in her right eye. Photograph: Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty Images

Koepka denied reports that he and Dustin Johnson had to be separated following a row at Europe’s victory party on Sunday night, and that the pair’s argument had started on the plane before the team arrived in Paris for the tournament.

“This Dustin thing I don’t get,” he said. “There was no fight, there was no argument – he’s one of my best friends. I love the kid to death.”

The reported fallout between Koepka and Johnson was not the only sign of disharmony in the US team, with Masters champion Patrick Reed blaming Jordan Spieth for the end of their successful Ryder Cup partnership and claiming it was “not smart” for captain Jim Furyk to leave him out of two sessions.

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“As far as camaraderie, it was fine, it was perfect,” Koepka added. “The problem is you guys [the media] try to find a reason why we lost and the simple reason is we just didn’t play good enough.

“We didn’t make the putts, hit the fairways, especially me. I lost two matches and halved another one. If I won those, if Tiger [Woods] wins his; Dustin lost one with me and then I think lost in the singles.

“If we play how we’re supposed to play we win, it’s simple as, but there’s nothing wrong with our team. Our team was great, Jim was great.”

Koepka and Johnson were paired on day two of the Ryder Cup, but lost 2&1 in the Foursomes to Europe’s Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson in the course of USA’s 17½-10½ defeat.