Augusta Chairman Comments on Fate of Masters Tournament After Helene Damage

The chairman of Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia recently spoke about the fate of the Masters golf tournament following damage the club faced from Hurricane Helene.

On Thursday, Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley expressed confidence that the Masters would proceed as planned in April, despite the club shifting its focus and resources toward helping the region recover from the severe damage caused by Hurricane Helene.

“I’m confident…that the Masters will be held, it will be held on the dates that it’s scheduled to be held, and I think we have a few announcements to make with respect to that project. So stay tuned,” Ridley said during a press conference at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Japan.

Augusta National and the Community Foundation for the Central Savannah River Area announced a joint donation of $5 million to support a fund providing essential services across the greater Augusta region.

Ridley arrived in Japan a few days late for the Asia-Pacific Amateur, explaining that Augusta National, like much of the Georgia city bordering South Carolina, had suffered “a lot of damage” from the storm.

“We’ve had literally dozens of people working at the club and what I’ve really been the most proud of is while everyone certainly is focused on getting us back up and running, our employees have been so focused on the community at large,” Ridley said.

“As far as the golf course, it really was affected just as the rest of the community was,” Ridley said. “There was a lot of damage. We have a lot of people working hard to get us back up and running. We don’t really know exactly what that’s going to mean but I can tell if you it’s humanly possible, we’ll be back in business sooner rather than later.”

Hurricane Helene has claimed more than 200 lives after making landfall as a Category 4 storm in Florida’s Big Bend region. The hurricane caused widespread destruction as it swept through Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, and Virginia.

The Masters is set for April 10-13, and Augusta National has the resources to rebuild or construct new facilities quickly. The club, which closes during the summer, was not due to reopen until mid-October, though it has not confirmed if that timeline has been affected.

“We have been able to take care of our employees but we’ve also been focused on what the Red Cross and other organizations are doing at Augusta,” Ridley said. “And our employees have really been a big part of that, which I think really speaks for them and the culture at the club.”

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.