Watch the terrifying moment as fans flee falling trees at the Masters

Visitors walk away from two trees that have fallen on the 17th hole. disturbing circumstances on the second day of the Masters when a group of huge pine trees fell between the 15th green and the 17th tee.

Screenshot shows spectators fleeing for safety as the trees fell around 4:40 pm. A siren soon followed, calling for the game to be stopped and the area to be evacuated.

Initial reports suggested that, almost miraculously, no one was hurt in the crowd of approximately 40,000 people, and that a strange gust of wind had uprooted giant conifers, who were expected to be over 100 years old.

«I'm shaking, it was surreal,» said one fan.

Eyewitness Megan Hill told the Augusta Chronicle: “I was sitting and watching and waiting for the next group to come up to the target and it fell maybe eight to 10 chairs to our left.

“I stood up, screamed and thought:“ Is he really going to fall on me? He fell to our left and it was so scary. If the wind had blown in a slightly different direction, we might have been hit.»

Another viewer, Deshi Thomas, added: “Pine cones hit us in the back, we turned around, looked up and heard a loud crack and the tree actually crushed 10 chairs that were standing there. Luckily, we got everyone out of there. We have been blessed.”

The moment the tree fell on 17 Augusta National. pic.twitter.com/43qilawab4

— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf), April 7, 2023

Storms were predicted, but the first major season seemed to slip away when a disqualification was made at 3.07 meters. The hiatus lasted only 21 minutes and the daytime wave was playing again for over an hour when the drama happened. Obviously, there will be concerns that this may not be an isolated episode, especially due to bad weather over the weekend.

Workers with chainsaws were sent to remove the trees that blocked the 17th tee.< /p>

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There have long been fears that an incident of this nature could occur. In 2014, a 65-foot pine tree, nicknamed the «Eisenhower Tree» in honor of former U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower, an Augusta member who struck the pine also on the 17th, so often he once asked to be cut down, was irreparably damaged in a storm. .

My word… look at the close-up of the trees falling on #TheMasters

There is someone between them… they are falling from both sides of them!!! 😳pic.twitter.com/gfVVsbuosy

— Dan Walker (@mrdanwalker) Apr 8, 2023

"It sounded like the podium had exploded, very loud" said Sergio Garcia, who was on the lawn on the 15th.

"Two trees fell off their roots and swallowed up another on the way down. People fled around them, but there was one woman around whom trees fell, and somehow she was not hurt. Thank God."

Nick Faldo and Paul McGinley, who worked for Sky Sports, commented that they were lucky that no one was hurt.

"Oh my god! My God, what happiness. There were a lot of people around, it would have been disgusting … We were very lucky that there was no one … that's lucky. Faldo said.

McGinley added, «That could easily kill people… Because it's not that windy, is it?» Was he hit by lightning?"

Visitors move away from the trees that have fallen on hole 17. : AP/Matt Slocum A guard guides patrons away from blown trees on hole 17. Photo: AP/Mark Baker Visitors leave the course after trees fell on the 17th hole. Photo: AP/Mark Baker

A statement released by the Augusta National Golf Club confirmed that while play is over for today, it will resume on Saturday and fans will be admitted as usual. .

&#34Augusta National Golf Club can confirm that there have been no reports of injury from the three trees that were blown away to the left of tee no. 17. The safety and well-being of all who take part in the tournament The Masters Tournament will always be a top priority for the club, which will continue to closely monitor the weather today and throughout the tournament.

"The second round has already begun. officially suspended until the end of the day. Play will resume Saturday morning at 8:00 AM ET. Ticket gates will open at 7:00 AM EST as scheduled."

Rory McIlroy was walking back down Magnolia Lane when the second blast blew after he fired 77 to get into the top five and look likely to miss his second Masters cut in three years.