Hurricane Helene sure was the epitome of destruction. It caused the loss of over 50 lives and left millions at its mercy. John Daly was no different, as his home in Florida was ravaged by the tragic twist of Mother Nature. Moreover, landmarks, including the Augusta golf course, suffered the same. Well now, remaining silent after such a tragedy doesn’t seem to be Luke List’s style, even if he is set to tee off at the Sanderson Farms Championship despite sporting an injury.

The defending champion of the event, as per the Clarion Ledger, will be donating $500 to the Red Cross for every birdie that they card at the upcoming tournament. He will do so alongside fellow Augusta resident Henrik Norlander in support of the local victims of the hurricane that hit Augusta on September 26.

“Waking up in the early hours,” recounted the pro ahead of the tournament, “And coming out when the sun was out, to see the devastation and the destruction directly on your own home and your neighbors’ homes, That’s humbling in its own right, just tugging trees.” The golfer, along with his Augusta neighbors, chopped down the trees to clear the streets that came to be blocked because of the hurricane.

That’s not all. The storm also caused a massive power outage in the land where it hit. As a result, many homes were left without any electricity including Luke List’s. Any guesses what he did then? Well, the golfer, along with his family (wife Chloe and two children), flew to Jackson early in preparation for the upcoming event.

The Lists then had dinner with Norlander and his family on Monday, following which they decided to donate money and support the “Birdies for Augusta” initiative. “When you have young children, just keeping them safe and out of harm’s way is the biggest priority,” said the 39-year-old, “So we were kind of − I think we were on the same page as far as we need to give back in any way we can.” Truly inspiring to make that kind of decision, to be honest, especially while sporting a herniated disc.

Luke List comes out candid on his injury

“I have a herniated disc in my neck, and it’s been nagging a little bit,” divulged the pro in an interview ahead of the tournament. He went ahead to reveal how it had been hindering his gameplay for a while, especially during the year’s summer. “I played through it, tried to rest a little and realized that wasn’t going to help,” admitted the golfer. “So then I had spent the last three to six weeks trying to strengthen and kind of rehab that injury a little bit.”

Will it hamper his ability to defend his title and card some birdies while at it? Good question! Well, Luke List himself gave the reply to that question during the press conference when he said, “I come in here maybe not in good form, but I’ve rested mentally and hopefully stronger physically.” What’s more, he also made sure to not worry his fans too much by mentioning how its not a blown-out disc or anything of the sort; “It’s nothing that’s like a blown-out disc or anything, but it has affected my strength in my left side of my body, and it’s just been a little bit of an issue the last year.”

Then there is but one question that the community will want to ask. Will he be able to build up enough birdies to help out those people who were affected by the Hurricane and are in need of support? Do keep an eye out for the athlete!