PGA pros take cover after missile false alarm in Hawaii

The 19th Hole

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.”

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.

It was safe to say he was not amused by the incident!

Irish golfer Seamus Power tried to keep calm.

While Argentine Emiliano Grillo tried to find out if it was a false alarm.

He eventually did.

J.J. Spaun took cover in his hotel basement while trying to find confirmation, but he still wasn’t convinced.

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.

Justin Thomas PGA Tour

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