PGA pros take cover after missile false alarm in Hawaii
Some of the world’s top golfers taking part at the PGA Tour’s Sony Open in Hawaii were sent scrambling for cover on Saturday after a ballistic missile alert was sent out by mistake.
World number four and 2017 PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas was one of several players who took to social media following the false alarm in Honolulu.
“To all that just received the warning along with me this morning… apparently it was a ‘mistake’ ?? hell of a mistake!!,” Thomas wrote. “Haha glad to know we’ll all be safe.”
To all that just received the warning along with me this morning… apparently it was a “mistake” 🤔 hell of a mistake!! Haha glad to know we’ll all be safe https://t.co/sYmuVzymaQ
— Justin Thomas (@JustinThomas34) January 13, 2018
Fellow pro John Peterson, who was tied for second at the time, joked that he had taken evasive action in the wake of the warning.
Under mattresses in the bathtub with my wife, baby and in laws. Please lord let this bomb threat not be real.
— John Peterson (@JohnPetersonFW) January 13, 2018
It was safe to say he was not amused by the incident!
Man. How do you press the wrong button like that. COME ON MAN
— John Peterson (@JohnPetersonFW) January 13, 2018
Irish golfer Seamus Power tried to keep calm.
Not your normal emergency warning. Really hope it’s just a drill pic.twitter.com/whSKtoI67M
— Seamus Power (@Power4Seamus) January 13, 2018
While Argentine Emiliano Grillo tried to find out if it was a false alarm.
— Emiliano Grillo (@GrilloEmiliano) January 13, 2018
He eventually did.
Thanks for the adventure pic.twitter.com/4O4Y4mHrRZ
— Emiliano Grillo (@GrilloEmiliano) January 13, 2018
J.J. Spaun took cover in his hotel basement while trying to find confirmation, but he still wasn’t convinced.
In a basement under hotel. Barely any service. Can you send confirmed message over radio or tv https://t.co/qHLeQSecnd
— JJ Spaun (@JJSpaun) January 13, 2018
Eventually, Hawaii’s Emergency Management Agency sent out a second message confirming the false alarm.
The alert came amid growing tension between the US and North Korea over its missile and nuclear programme. Hawaii is the nearest US state to North Korea.
The US government has announced a full investigation into the incident.
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