MIAMI – Three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson won’t be surprised if Augusta National Golf Club is in epic state at the Masters next week, about six months after the course was heavily damaged by Hurricane Helen.
On September 27th, at that point, a Category 1 hurricane with gusts of 80-100 miles per hour, killing at least 11 people, knocking down thousands of trees, and damaging thousands of homes and businesses in the Augusta area.
Augusta National Golf Club was also affected. This is mainly due to the loss of the tree.
“There aren’t many trees as many as we did a year ago when it came to impact, long-term impact,” Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley told reporters at the Latin America Amateur Championship in February.
“As far as golf courses go, it’s in epic state. I think it did a bit of damage to the course, but there was the playing surface itself, but I managed to get it back… I don’t think there’s a difference in the Master’s condition this year.”
Mickelson, one of five golfers who won the Green Jacket three times (2004, 2006, 2010), has yet to play a practice round at Augusta National this year, but recalls playing another year about two weeks before the tournament.
Mickelson was about to hit a tee shot on the par 4 11th hole, the start of the famous Amen corner. At that time, a tall pine tree fell into the middle of the fairway, dropping about 100 yards from the group playing in front of him.
As Mickelson was walking down the 11th fairway, he heard the worker’s radio go off and the supervisor said, “Get get 11.”
“A lot of workers piled up, competed against this tree, burned chain saws and cut this off,” Mickelson said. “By the time I left the 11 Green, all the limbs of the tree had been amputated and placed on the back of these carts.”
When Mickelson reached hole 15, the workers were cutting out the trunk of the tree. On hole 18, he saw the workers lay the 11th fairway.
“I couldn’t say this happened two days later,” Mickelson said. “If that was my home course, the tree would still be there, as if it were three weeks later.” And they removed this. It was one of the most impressive things I’ve seen – the ability to handle such things.
Augusta National Golf Club will be holding its Augusta National Women’s Amateur final round this Saturday.
The 89th Master will be performed from April 10th to 13th. The first round coverage will air on ESPN from 3pm to 7:30pm.