2 people hospitalized after lightning strike near PGA tournament in Connecticut

Two people were hospitalized Saturday after lightning struck a tree near a home at a golf course hosting the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut.

The home stadium is located directly north of the fifth green of the TPC River Highlands, where the tournament takes place one week after the US Open.

At around 4:30 p.m., Cromwell Police received emergency calls about a lightning strike. When emergency responders arrived, they found a tree struck by lightning and three people nearby.

Cromwell Fire Department Chief Jason Brade said in a statement that a rescue team treated two people and took them to the hospital for further evaluation. He did not provide further details on their condition. A third person declined treatment.

The weather delayed the third round of the Travelers Championship, where Cameron Young shot a 59 earlier in the day for the PGA Tour’s first round under 60 in four years. On Saturday afternoon, the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for an area north of Cromwell.

Lightning strikes are an ever-present danger on golf courses. In 2019, six people were injured at the Tour Championship when lightning struck a 60-foot pine tree.