Two huge pine trees fell right during the Masters 2023 golf tournament near the 17th hole at Augusta National. The incident occurred during the second qualifying round, and was captured on video via live broadcast.
The Masters tournament was hit by a terrifying incident when three large pine trees fell down due to high winds and stormy weather. Spectators near holes 16th and 17th managed to narrowly escape injury amid the falling nearby trees.
The Masters confirmed that no one was injured, but "the second round has been officially suspended for the rest of the day. Play will resume Saturday morning at 8:00 am (12pm BST)". A statement from the Masters also stressed that Augusta National Golf Club will continue to closely monitor the weather for the safety and well-being of who attends tournament.
"I was waiting for the next group to come up to the tee and it fell maybe eight to 10 chairs to our left. I stood up and screamed and thought, 'Is it going to fall on me?' It fell to the left of us, and it was so scary. If the wind had been blowing a slightly different direction, we might have got hit," recalled Megan Hill, an eyewitness.
Masters ground staff immediately began to cut the fallen trees with chainsaws after players and spectators were taken off the course.
"Augusta National Golf Club can confirm that no injuries were reported from three trees that were blown over to the left of the No. 17 tee due to wind," The Masters said in a bulletin on Saturday evening.
Scary moment as a tree falls at The Masterspic.twitter.com/UNzZYNGpuy
— Pickswise (@Pickswise) April 7, 2023
What a wild scene. Thankful that no one is hurt.
— No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) April 7, 2023
Have to imagine there will be no more golf today. pic.twitter.com/qiVZ2CaY3B
These are massive trees. Luckily nobody is injured at #themasters almost feels like a miracle pic.twitter.com/JJDMFxlRw0
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) April 7, 2023
"The safety and well-being of everyone attending the Masters Tournament will always be the top priority of the Club. We will continue to closely monitor weather today and through the Tournament.
"The Second Round has been officially suspended for the rest of the day. Play will resume Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m. EDT. Ticket gates will open at 7:00 a.m. EDT as scheduled."
This was the second time play had been suspended due to the storms, following an earlier threat of lightning at the course. Due to the storm alert officials moved all starting times up 30 minutes in the hopes of getting the second round in as scheduled.
According to The Augusta Chronicle, Masters patron Megan Hill said: "I was sitting, looking, waiting for the next group to come up to the tee and it fell maybe 8-10 chairs to our left. I stood up and screamed and thought, 'Is it going to fall on me? It fell to the left of us and it was so scary. If the wind had been blowing a slightly different direction, we might have got hit."
At 4.22pm EDT, Augusta National Golf Club was forced to suspend play due to inclement weather conditions, with the grounds evacuated because of the storms that were incoming.
Earlier in the round, there had already been a delay of just 21 minutes, as players briefly left the course only to return to their previous positions. Upon return, play carried on for about an hour, with players starting to face the brunt of the wind and rain, as it began to pick up.
Such was the power of the wind, viewers noticed a chair cover being blowing down the 10th fairway as Justin Thomas, Cameron Young and Jon Rahm struck their tee shots. Certainly, on the broadcast, it was obvious that the conditions were getting worse and, as the hooter blew, the scary footage of the three trees falling came on screen for around 10 seconds.
Initial reports suggested that, almost miraculously, nobody had been injured in a crowd estimated to be 40,000 and that a freak gust had uprooted the giant conifers thought to be more than 100 years old. Augusta National Golf Club later confirmed that there were indeed no injuries.
"It sounded like a grandstand blew over, super loud," said Sergio Garcia, who was on the green at the 15th.
"Two trees fell down from the roots and took another one on the way down. People scattered around them but there was one woman that the trees fell around her and somehow she didn't get hurt. Thank God."
Nick Faldo and Paul McGinley, who were working for Sky Sports, remarked that it was fortunate no one was hurt.
"Oh my goodness, my goodness, that is so fortunate. There were plenty of people around, that would've been nasty... We're really lucky that nobody was... that was lucky," said Faldo.
McGinley added: "That could've killed people easily... Because it's not that windy out there is it? Did it get hit by lightning?"
Crazy, scary site at Augusta National. Great to hear everyone is ok. #Masters#themasters #AugustaNational pic.twitter.com/Mtf0w6GNfJ
— Paul (@ticatsroar) April 7, 2023
Storms had been forecast but the season’s first major had appeared to have escaped when a suspension was made at 3.07m. The pause lasted only 21 minutes and the afternoon wave had been playing again for more than an hour when the drama occurred.
Grounds workers with chainsaws were dispatched to remove the trees, which were blocking the 17th tee.
Fears have long existed that an incident of this nature could occur. In 2014, a 65ft loblolly pine nicknamed “The Eisenhower Tree” after the former US President Dwight Eisenhower - an Augusta member who hit the pine, also on the 17th, so often he once requested it be cut down - was irrevocably damaged in a storm.
There will obviously be concerns that this might not prove an isolated episode, especially with poor weather due on the weekend.
A statement released by the Augusta National Golf Club confirmed that although play was over for the day, it would resume on Saturday with fans admitted as usual.
"Augusta National Golf Club can confirm that no injuries were reported from the three trees that were blown over to the left of the No, 17 tee due to wind. The safety and well-being of everyone attending the Masters Tournament will always be the top priority of the Club, which will continue to closely monitor weather today and through the Tournament.
"The Second Round has officially been suspended for the rest of the day. Play will resume Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m EDT. Ticket gates will open at 7:00 a.m. EDT as scheduled."
Rory McIlroy had already gone back down Magnolia Lane when the second hooter sounded, after shooting a 77 to stand on five-over and looking likely to miss his second Masters cut in three years.
The Masters Tournament is the first of four major golf tournaments. It is held annually on the course of the National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Since 1949, the champion is presented with a green jacket, which must be returned to the Augusta National one year after his victory
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