A 16-year-old Utah golfer experienced an unusual and painful accident while trying to retrieve a golf ball. The teenager’s left testicle retracted inside his body, causing “acute” groin pain and leading him to seek medical help. The case study was recently published in the journal “Urology Case Reports.”

Upon examination, doctors discovered that the teen had a history of retractile left testis, a condition in which the testicle descends normally during puberty but doesn’t remain in place. The boy also had a patent processus vaginalis, an internal connection between the scrotum and the abdomen that should have closed during development in the womb.

A CT scan revealed the misplaced testicle had traveled into a canal running from the scrotum toward the abdomen. Surgeons used tiny instruments to guide the testicle back into the scrotum and secured it in place with a suture to prevent future mishaps.

Seven months after the surgery, the teenager reported no complications, although doctors remain unsure of how the injury occurred from simply picking up a golf ball.