AUGUSTA - A day later, there were only a few lasting signs that three large loblolly pine trees had fallen near the 17th tee, but the sight and sounds of Friday’s incident won’t soon be forgotten by the players who were nearby.
“I’ve never seen anything like that on a golf course,” said 1987 Masters champion Larry Mize, who was standing on the adjacent hole, lining up his putt on the 16th green. “Then all of a sudden, I heard it, and I saw the trees. They were at an angle coming down and I saw people scattering.”
Patrick Reed, the 2018 champion, was on the 15th tee and heard the trees snap when his ball was in the air.
“It was nuts,” Reed said. “I hit the tee shot literally right after I was watching my ball in the air. It sounded like a grandstand fell over or something. We couldn’t tell. You could hear it all the way on 15 tee.”
Witnesses said the patrons got enough warning to scram when pinecones began to fall on their backs. People standing the area were able to scatter to safety and no one was injured.
“I’m thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, people, get out of there,’” Mize said. “Thank goodness no one was hurt.”
The grounds crew was there within minutes to clear the trees, which had been toppled by gusty winds and had fallen near the front of the champion’s tee box. The only evidence of the trees were two roped-off areas – one about 10 feet in diameter, the other about 15 feet – that had been smoothed over and covered with sand, seed and fertilizer.
There remained a narrow six-foot trough – a tree divot – that respectfully stopped near the edge of the 17th tee box, It had been filled in with sand. A longer tree indentation stretched diagonally across the teeing area and were almost unnoticeable, as were another dozen asymmetrically indentations.
Two of the patrons sitting in the area weren’t even aware a tree had fallen on Friday until the couple to their left pointed out the ropes where the trees had stood less than 24 hours earlier.
The incident didn’t prevent patrons from leaving their green folding chairs along the ropes, some in the same path that had crushed 10 chairs.
Among those coming back to the scene were Jeff and Amy Moffatt of Aiken, S.C., who have been sitting in the same spot for years. That had left the area a few minutes before the trees fell, but didn’t hesitate to return to their happy place.
“Lightning doesn’t strike twice in the same spot,” Amy said. “I hope not.”
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