Masters gives out special glasses to patrons for solar eclipse
Apr. 8—AUGUSTA — Patrons attending Monday's practice round at the Masters Tournament didn't have to worry about not having eye protection for the solar eclipse.
The tournament supplied everyone in attendance Monday with special viewing glasses so they could see the event that afternoon without damaging their eyes.
The special glasses had a green paper frame with the Masters logo on either side. An imprint on the reverse side included the date and the notation that they were created exclusively for the Masters.
"This is cool," said Billy Byler, a former Augusta-area resident who now lives in Winfield, Kansas. "I don't know that you will be able to get these again."
It's a different rite of spring this year for golf fans who come to Augusta National Golf Club each year to celebrate the world's best golfers. Many also come for the course's natural beauty, which includes thousands of plants and trees.
This year they were treated to something a little different with the eclipse. It was expected to only be partial in the greater Augusta area.
A total solar eclipse — when the moon lines up perfectly between the sun and Earth, blocking sunlight — doesn't happen very often in populated areas. North America isn't scheduled to see one from coast-to-coast for another two decades.
That the eclipse fell during Masters Week is another oddity. According to records, the last time that happened was during the 1940 Masters.
Tournament officials urged caution in an email to credentialed media.
"During the eclipse, please do not look at the sun without appropriate solar glasses. We ask that you exercise caution and be aware of your surroundings while wearing solar glasses," it said.
"For those with cameras, please do not point it at the sun unless the optics are fitted with a certified solar filter. Optics can magnify the intensity of sunlight, and this can cause damage to your equipment."
The path of the total eclipse went from Mexico to Canada, including 15 U.S. states.
At Augusta National, the partial solar eclipse was expected to start a little before 2 p.m. and end around 4:20 p.m. The peak viewing time was set for just after 3 p.m.
According to the Associated Press, the moon will blot out the sun for 4 minutes and 28 seconds. It will pass over many major U.S. cities with an estimated 44 million people living within the path of totality. Another couple hundred million are within 200 miles of the path, making it the biggest eclipse crowd in history.
The last time this area experienced a total eclipse was in August 2017. The Masters is traditionally played in April.
Brothers Will and Jax Dyer, from Phenix City, Alabama, drove over to attend their first Masters. They admitted they had "no plan" when it came to viewing the eclipse and weren't exactly sure when it was coming.
But they did do some shopping.
"We bought the whole store," Will joked.
He added that he probably wouldn't look directly at the eclipse, even with the glasses.
"I've got a long drive back home," he said.
