With both the BMW Championship and THE NORTHERN TRUST complete, the time has come for the 2019 Tour Championship. The top 30 golfers in the FedEx Playoffs were on hand to compete for a $15 million purse. Unfortunately, disaster struck on Saturday during a weather delay in Atlanta.
With play paused halfway through Round 3, multiple people were injured when lightning struck a tree near the 16th hole. According to FOX5, ambulances arrived at the scene and treated six people, including one child.
Videos by PopCulture.com
The PGA Tour stated that the situation does not appear to be life-threatening for anyone involved while most accounts described those injured as alert.
NBC just showed a lightning strike out at the #TOURChampionship at East Lake that injured possibly 4. This is a slow motion shot of their coverage. Wow! 🙏 pic.twitter.com/0Z1ARb6a8q
— Craig Lucie (@CraigLucie) August 24, 2019
According to CBS Sports, PGA Tour officials ended play for the day around 5:30 p.m. due to the weather. They announced that it will restart at 8 a.m. ET on Sunday. The golfers will have to play nearly 30 holes as they finish Round 3 and take on Round 4.
“At 4:45 p.m., there were two lightning strikes at East Lake Golf Club; a tree near the range/15 green/16 tee was hit, and debris from that strike injured four people,” the statement from the PGA Tour said. “EMT tended to those fans and two others immediately and transported them from the property via ambulance for further medical attention. Our latest report is that their injuries do not appear to be life-threatening.”
Originally, play had been suspended at 4:17 p.m., but the PGA Tour officials expected that the weather would cease and provide a return to action. However, the lightning strike ended that hope and created a far more pressing issue.
WHOA!!!! This is a screen shot of the lightning strike at East Lake Golf Course. Dekalb County Fire Fighters say 4 people were hurt. Happened at the #FedExCup #11Alive pic.twitter.com/fvJas9XFOf
— Ryan Kruger (@Ryan11Alive) August 24, 2019
When competition resumes on Sunday, the top names in contention for the $15 million prize will be Justin Thomas: -12 (5), Rory McIlroy: -11 (5), Brooks Koepka: -11 (5), and Xander Schauffele: -10 (5). Thomas has the best opportunity to achieve victory while McIlroy, Koepka, and Schauffele are likely in contention for the $5 million purse awarded to the runner-up.
