A.J. Perez

USA TODAY Sports

Former South African pro golfer Wayne Westner shot and killed himself on Wednesday after allegedly holding his wife hostage at a Pennington, South Africa, residence, according to multiple published reports.

Westner, 55, was one of South Africa’s most prominent athletes during his golf career, which was cut short due to injury in 1998. Westner shot himself in the head in front of his wife, police said, according to the South Africa Times.

Westner most recently coached youth golfers and promoted his invention called The Instant Golfer. He won 14 professional tournaments, including two on the European Tour. He reached a career high of 40th on the Official World Golf Rankings.

PGA golfer Ernie Els expressed his sorrow for Westner’s death on Twitter:

Els and Westner teamed up to win the 1996 World Cup of Golf.