Former Masters champ shares Augusta update after brutal storm

Augusta National Golf Club is still recovering from ‘catastrophic’ damage in the wake of Hurricane Helene in September.

The tropical cyclone ripped through the southeast of the United States and left significant damage at the Masters venue.

Fred Ridley, chairman of ANGC, said it was ‘assessing the effects’ of the hurricane, as drone footage offered a glimpse at battered fairways and fallen trees.

Now, speaking to Golfweek, an unnamed past Masters champion has provided the latest update on the course, five months out from the opening major of the 2025 men’s season.

“The trees on the left side of No. 1 looked thin; thinner than normal,” he said. “And so did the right side of No. 9.”

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But the missing pine trees were not the most notable change. Instead, the fourball were forced to bypass the par-3 16th hole, which was closed due to flood damage.

“So, after we played 15, we went straight to 17,” he said.

It’s not all doom and gloom, though. The former green jacket winner assured the rest of the course was “in great shape” and Magnolia Lane “looked the same”.

“The clubhouse had no damage,” he added.

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Despite the devastation, Ridley confirmed at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in October that the Masters would go ahead as planned.

“The Masters will be held, it will be on the dates it’s scheduled to be held,” he told Evin Priest.

“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.

“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.”

Meanwhile, Ridley announced that $5 million would be donated to the Hurricane Helene Community Crisis Fund.

The 2025 Masters is set to take place from April 10-13.

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.