Augusta Nationwide chairman Fred Ridley on the 2024 Masters.
Getty Photographs
Because the Southeast reels within the aftermath of Hurricane Helene — the deadliest storm to hit the U.S. mainland in almost twenty years — one other section of the wreckage is about to start.
Some cities had been destroyed, others are nonetheless inaccessible, others are nonetheless with out energy or working water, and the search and rescue for these nonetheless in want of assistance is ongoing.
In Augusta, Ga., many are struggling to safe the fundamentals of meals, water and electrical energy. Some nonetheless lack a correct shelter. The Washington Publish not too long ago frolicked in Augusta to report on the aid efforts, and on Wednesday U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris visited the town.
Augusta Nationwide provides replace after ‘catastrophic and historic’ hurricane
Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership, the house of the Masters, despatched out an announcement over the weekend.
“Our Augusta group has suffered catastrophic and historic affect from Hurricane Helene,” Fred Ridley, the chairman of Augusta Nationwide, stated within the assertion. “We at present are assessing the consequences at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership. Within the meantime our focus and efforts are foremost with our workers, neighbors and enterprise house owners in Augusta. Our ideas and prayers are with them in addition to everybody all through Georgia and the Southeast who’ve been affected.”
Just a few days later and the world over on the Asia Pacific Beginner Championship in Japan — an occasion run by Augusta Nationwide and the R&A — Ridley spoke to the media and offered one other replace.
“What I actually have been most pleased with is whereas everybody actually is targeted on getting us up, again and working, our workers have been so targeted on the group at giant,” Ridley stated early Thursday morning, in keeping with Golf Digest. “We’ve been capable of care for our workers, however we’ve additionally been targeted on what the Crimson Cross and different organizations are doing in Augusta, and our workers actually have been a giant a part of that, which I feel actually speaks for them and the tradition on the membership.”
Ridley added that the golf course was affected simply as the remainder of the group has been, and that “there was lots of harm and we have now lots of people working laborious to get us again up and working.”
Ridley additionally stated the membership “might be again in enterprise sooner fairly than later,” and “[the Masters] might be on the dates it’s scheduled to be held.”
The 2025 Masters is slated for April 10-13.
Whereas Augusta Nationwide’s tight-lipped tradition and golf course that’s principally hidden amongst towering pines means we’ll probably see little visible proof of the harm, some images and movies have circulated on social media.
