
Fred Ridley, Augusta National Golf Club’s chairman, feels confident the 89th Masters will be contested in its traditional slot, the first full week in April, despite the iconic golf course suffering what he called “a lot of damage” from 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,” said Ridley to reporters during a news conference at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Japan.
The Category 4 hurricane made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region late last week, causing catastrophic damage in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. The Biden-Harris administration has been criticized for its slow response to the human suffering.
The death toll from Hurricane Helene had reached 200 as of Thursday, according to The Associated Press.
It is the deadliest mainland hurricane since Katrina in 2005.
Augusta experienced tropical-storm-force winds Friday morning. According to the National Weather Service, a wind gust of 82 mph was observed at Augusta Regional Airport.
“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. “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.”
The 89th edition of the Masters is scheduled for April 10-13, 2025.