This archive report was first published on 26 August 2019.
On Saturday, a sudden thunderstorm rolled in over the East Lake Gold Course in Atlanta, forcing the PGA Tour to suspend play at the FedEx Championship.
Lightning struck a tree near the 16th tee, injuring six golf fans who were in the vicinity. The incident occurred during the third round of the Tour Championship.
According to the PGA Tour, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) tended to the injured fans and transported two of them to a hospital via ambulance for further medical attention.
Fortunately, the injuries do not appear to be life-threatening, and the fans are expected to make a full recovery.
Due to the lightning strike, the third round of the tournament was suspended for the day and will resume on Sunday at 8 a.m. ET.
The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of player and spectator safety during golf tournaments. In 1991, two spectators were killed at separate major championships in the United States, prompting the PGA Tour to become more vigilant about stopping play amid the threat of lightning.
