• Tour Talk

  • Lightening strikes tree near spectators at East Lake - several injured

I was deployed to Honduras, C.A. back in the late 80's with my military unit. We'd just got our large tents setup and were grabbing our things off the truck when a major tropical storm started overtaking the area. We saw the wind pick up another platoon's tent and hurl it hundreds of yards away, so we immediately ran inside our tent to secure it from the inside to keep it from suffering the same fate. Those tents had 2 large wooden poles with small metal dowels on the ends fitted through the eyelits in the roof's canvas to keep it supported. About 6 guys each on both poles, holding onto them for dear life to keep the wind from collapsing the roof and carrying it away.... we saw this brilliant flash of lightning, and immediately all of the hair on our arms and heads stood up on-end. It was the static from whatever the lightning hit nearby, otherwise we all would've been zapped, condolence letters written home to our families, the whole nine yards.

I'll never forget that day for as long as I live. Somehow we were spared, and yet we were in a state of shock for hours after the storm passed, that we somehow avoided death.

I never had an issue leaving the course when the weather looked ominous, I always thought about that day and figured that I'd never get that lucky twice in my lifetime.


Reminds me of the lightning strike at a big tournament years ago. I believe there were deaths at that one. I can't remember which tournament it was any more but it seems to me it was in Minnesota.

    Do you think that the PGA has the need or power to suppress a story like this? The reason I ask is that I would have thought that a story about six people getting struck by lightning at a golf tournament would have been BIG news, particualarly when the story was accompanied by some of the most dramatic footage of a lightning strike I've ever seen. But I didn't see one news report on this, and I have talked to my friends about it and they didn't see anything either. Maybe I just missed it.

      kelco9 - That's why I posted it...I report, you decide 😁

      I've now seen several reports on this and 4 out of 5 guys in my group that played this morning were aware of it. We heard lightening, we headed for the clubhouse.

      I was in our clubhouse awaiting a storm to pass and start a couples tournament when a bolt struck a tree at our club many years ago and killed a member. When the bolt rolled down the tree and then continued into the cart. Both players were knocked out of it, one died and the other is sterile for life. This story brought back the events of that day and I now have a lot more respect for lightening and mother nature.

        kelco9 - I don't think there is any reason to suppress the story. The PGA employs a meteorologist on-site during the tournaments to help with player and fan safety. I've been in attendance at least once where they blew the horn and lit up the scoreboards with warnings to seek shelter immediately. And it was more than adequate advance notice. Just the opposite, now these tournaments have the attention of all the guests, patrons, fans, etc. that should be taking any advisories even more seriously. Just my two cents.

          Interesting side note. My dad worked with a guy who was out on a lake in a boat fishing when he was hit by lightning trying to get back into the harbor. Not only did he survive the lightning strike, but his heart murmur problem completely went away.

            PA-PLAYA I know, right?! I was hit by lightning just last week, and I haven't been able to get rid of this erection since!

            Just kidding, JUST KIDDING! I have to be sure that it's clear that I'm joking, or there'd be a bunch of Buzzers running around their yards, waving golf clubs in the air during a storm (and their wives yelling at them through the locked door, "You're not coming back in until you get struck at least once.")

              Phil had an experience with the lightning, too...