Pine trees fall near US Masters patrons, nobody injured
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Course officials look over fallen trees on the 17th hole during the second round of the 2023 Masters Tournament.
PHOTO: AFP
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AUGUSTA – Three towering pine trees came crashing down near the tee box of the par-four 17th hole at Augusta National on Friday and sent patrons running for safety before play at the US Masters was suspended for the day as a storm moved into the area.
Augusta National Golf Club said nobody was injured from the trees that fell as breezy north-easterly winds ushered in colder conditions.
Towering pine trees are a trademark feature of the famed, 7,545-yard course, the world’s only layout to host a men’s Major golf tournament every year.
Threatening weather forced officials to suspend play for a second time at 4.22pm ET (4.22am, Singapore time) before they ultimately decided to resume the round at 8am ET on Saturday.
“The safety and well-being of everyone attending the Masters Tournament will always be the top priority of the club,” the club said in a statement.
“We will continue to closely monitor the weather today and through the tournament.”
Moments after the trees came down under darkening skies, there were several crew members on sight cleaning up the debris.
The second round was initially interrupted for 21 minutes at 3.07pm as a storm cell moved through the area and many of the patrons who had been in the vicinity of the fallen trees were not back in position when they came down.
“We were cresting the fairway on 15. We thought it was a scoreboard or a grandstand,” said Masters debutant Sahith Theegala, who was playing alongside 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed and Canada’s Adam Svensson.
Brooks Koepka went out in ideal early conditions and shot a five-under 67 that brought him to 12 under on the week and gave him a four-shot clubhouse lead over amateur Sam Bennett.
There were still 39 golfers yet to finish their round, including overnight co-leaders Jon Rahm, who was two under after nine holes, and Viktor Hovland, one over after 10.
Many of the pines found in the original forested part of Augusta National are over 150 years old, while many others were planted when the course was built before opening for play in 1932.
In 2014, the course’s famed Eisenhower Tree at the 17th hole that was believed to be about 100 years old had to be removed from its position in the fairway after being damaged by an ice storm.
The tree, which was about 65 feet (19.8m) tall, guarded the left side of the fairway at the par-four 17th and was strategically situated 210 yards from the tee.
It received its name because former United States president and club member Dwight Eisenhower hit into the tree so often he campaigned to have it removed.
REUTERS, AFP
