The Greenbrier Resort was left underwater this week, 13 days before the PGA Tour is set to make a stop at the West Virginia course.
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin declared a State of Emergency for most counties in the state after a series of storms this week that left at least two people dead. Greenbrier Resort owner Jim Justice said in a statement the flooding is like nothing he's ever seen.
"Our focus right now isn’t on the property, the golf course or anything else," Justice said. "We’re praying for the people and doing everything we can to get them the help they need.”
The PGA Tour echoed something similar.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of West Virginia during this state of emergency,” the PGA Tour said in a statement. “While we assess the damage to The Greenbrier Resort to determine the feasibility of holding the Greenbrier Classic the week after next, the obvious priority is with the safety of that community and its recovery efforts. We will share an update on the status of the event in the next few days.”
The course in White Sulphur Springs is set to host the PGA Tour's Greenbrier Classic July 7-10.
A photo and video shared by golfer Bubba Watson on Twitter showed the extent of the flooding.
Ken Tackett, a PGA Tour rules official, told The Golf Channel that there is three feet of mud at some areas of the course along with massive flooding.
“At this point it’s too early to tell (if the tournament needs to be rescheduled or postponed),” Tackett said. “We want to rally around the community first and foremost to try to help people with their lives. We are putting several different options together.”
Tackett said Howard’s Creek, which runs through the golf course, got up to about 20 feet high, about four times its usual level.
“It broke all the 100-year flood records,” Tackett said. “Everybody’s belongings are all of the golf course from grills to tires to kayaks and snowboards. There are golf carts all over the place. It’s tragic.”
