For the majority of the first two days of The Masters, Brooks Koepka has been the top draw. The four-time major winner zoomed to 12-under, shooting 65-67 on consecutive days, and Koepka is in a phenomenal position to perhaps capture his first green jacket. However, another gigantic story emerged on Friday when trees began to fall near the 17th hole at Augusta National Golf Club.
well THIS was terrifying pic.twitter.com/qfIm2w4zKW
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) April 7, 2023
Fortunately, all reports, including an official announcement from the tournament, indicate that no injuries sustained to any patrons or staff. Images were quickly captured that showed what transpired, both in still form and with video that showed just how close the trees came to causing more damage.
Big tree down at Augusta! Still awaiting details from here — but ESPN reporting “no injuries at all.”
Chainsawing underway.
photos from @GettyImages (Patrick Smith) pic.twitter.com/QPTO1ZRBvu
— Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier) April 7, 2023
Holy smokes — this angle shows how absolutely miraculous it was that nobody got hit. pic.twitter.com/oAVf5rKmlP
— Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier) April 7, 2023
Play was already suspended for a brief period on Friday due to weather concerns, and Augusta National Golf Club announced just after 5:00 pm local time that, in addition to a confirmation of no injuries, the second round was officially suspended for the rest of the day. Play is scheduled to resume at 8:00 am local time on Saturday, with gates set to open at 7:00 am.
Beyond anything else, it is fortunate that no injuries occurred, especially given the volume of people on the grounds in Augusta this week. Challenging weather is also in the forecast for Saturday, so in addition to the overall experience, it will be interesting to see how on-course play may be affected.