[PHOTO: David Paul Morris]
When Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm, battered much of the southern United States last week, including Augusta, Georgia, golf was the last thing on anyone’s mind. Especially because there were at least 225,000 Augusta residents without power. According to the Associated Press, at least 133 deaths in six south-eastern states were attributed to the storm.
With Augusta being renowned globally as the home of the Masters, golf fans have also been curious over the state of Augusta National. There are 186 days between now and Monday of the week of the 89th Masters. Social media pictures of devastation close to the course on Washington Road fuelled much of that thirst for golf updates. On Saturday, the club’s chairman, Fred Ridley, released a short statement on social media detailing that the club’s “focus and efforts are foremost with our staff, neighbours and business owners in Augusta”.
By Thursday morning, Ridley was in Japan to carry out his duties at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. The event, which in its 15th edition, is jointly run by Augusta National and the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews. The winner receives a spot in the next year’s Masters and Open Championship (the 2025 Open will be held at Royal Portrush).
Ridley was asked whether there was any update to the state of the hallowed turf.
Augusta was in the middle of the storm’s path and was exposed to flooding and winds of 225km/h.
“As far as the golf course, it really was affected just as the rest of the community was… there was a lot of damage and we have a lot of people working hard to get us back up and running,” Ridley said in a press conference at the Taiheiyo Club near Mount Fuji. “We don’t really know exactly what that’s going to mean, but I can tell you… if it’s humanly possible, we will be back in business sooner rather than later.”
Understandably, Ridley put the focus on dealing with the devastation Augusta locals have suffered and humanitarian efforts. As the Washington Post reported, “daily life for many in this city has been reduced to a struggle for the basics: food, water, electricity and, for some, shelter”. The Bell Auditorium, about eight kilometres from Augusta National, is acting as a major safety shelter while the Red Cross is also helping people Helene left homeless.
“We’ve had literally dozens of people working at the club, and what I really have been most proud of is while everyone certainly is focused on getting us up, back and running, our employees have been so focused on the community at large,” Ridley said. “We’ve been able to take care of our employees, but we’ve also been focused on what the Red Cross and other organisations are doing in Augusta, and our employees really have been a big part of that, which I think really speaks for them and the culture at the club.”
Ridley did make some assurances relating to the 2025 Masters, for which the first round begins on April 10, when Scottie Scheffler will start defending his title.
“Back to one of the first questions… ,” Ridley said, “the Masters will be held, [and] it will be on the dates it’s scheduled to be held.”
