Augusta National gives umbrellas to patrons stuck in rain

Jim Kielblock’s wasn’t going to let a little broken bone stop him from watching the Par-3 Contest on Wednesday.

He bent his right big toe backward last week when he slipped on ice near his home on Odel Lake in Oregon. The doctor advised him to skip the Masters Tournament and stay home.

But he couldn’t pass on the two badges he had for himself and son-in-law, so the pair traveled to Augusta anyway. By afternoon Wednesday, the pain was about eight out of 10 as he hobbled around the course. Kielblock said he had to deal with it without help because he couldn’t use crutches on the slippery grass.

“I don’t care, I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Kielblock said.

He’s looking forward to today when he will plant his chair by No. 16 and watch the tournament in one spot.

“I’ve never been, and I’ve recorded every Masters since 1986, so we weren’t going to miss this,” said his son-in-law, Ed Emberlin.

Sherry Cargnel gave her husband his best ever birthday present in their decades together Wednesday.

To mark her husband Gerry’s 70th, Cargnel scored two tickets to the Par-3 Contest at Augusta National Golf Club, somewhere he has wanted to be in person his whole life.

“When I told him he just said ‘No way, no way,’ as if it was impossible,” Cargnel said.

The couple planted chairs on the Par-3 Course and waited to see Arnold Palmer hit some balls.

It was an experience Cargnel said she owed her husband, who worked two jobs and gave unconditional love to support their family.

Par-3 day ended wet, but some patrons caught in the rain got a littlepresent courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club.

Brothers Mark and Shawn Hurd were waiting in a line of hundreds to collect items they checked in to lockers at the beginning of the day when the storm clouds rolled in.

As the sky opened, they said Augusta National employees handed out $45 umbrellas to about 100 people caught in the rain, which a Augusta National spokesman confirmed.

“It started to pour, but they gave us umbrellas which made it bearable,” Mark Hurd said.

Despite the rain, the brothers were still able to see legends Gary Player, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus tee off together, although the Par-3 was closed soon after due to weather.

“It was great until the rain came,” Hurd said.