ROGERS — Temperatures in excess of 100 degrees Monday led to a decision to provide water free of charge to spectators attending this week’s Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G at Pinnacle Country Club, said David Shoemaker.
“From our perspective, we focus on the spectators and volunteers,” Shoemaker said. “The players have played in the heat, cold and wet. They know what they have to do to make their bodies perform.”
It’s the spectators and volunteers, Shoemaker said, who have to be the safety focal point of tournament officials.
FAST FACTS
How To Treat Heat Exhaustion
- Get the person out of the sun and into a shady or air-conditioned location.
- Lay the person down and elevate the legs and feet slightly.
- Loosen or remove the person’s clothing.
- Have the person drink cool water or other nonalcoholic beverage without caffeine.
- Cool the person by spraying or sponging with cool water and fanning.
- Monitor the person carefully. Heat exhaustion can quickly become heat stroke.
- Call 911 if the person’s condition deteriorates, especially if fainting, confusion or seizures occur.
Source: Staff Report
“We’re also trying to get some misting fans brought in to place around the course,” Shoemaker said.
The golfers on Sunday finished the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, won by Brittany Lang in a playoff.
Coincidentally, temperature records were broken in two dozen cities across Ontario and Quebec on Thursday, including the hottest June temperature on record in Toronto, at 100, according to a report from the BBC.
The pros arrived in Northwest Arkansas just in time for the first predicted triple-digit temperatures of the summer.
Meanwhile, Nick Bryan, an assistant golf pro at Pinnacle, was experiencing the heat first-hand at an outdoor scoreboard, busy posting scores from the Monday qualifying play.
“The LGPA does a really good job of supplying water everywhere for the players,” Bryan said. “The main thing we look for is to make sure the patrons take proper care to hydrate.”
The tournament moved this year to June from a previous September date — which all too often brought rainy weather.
“As far as the course goes, we’ll take heat over water any day,” Bryan said.
The heat may be good for the course, but Tom Jenkins, Rogers fire chief, said an ambulance will be on standby for the onlookers, just in case.
“Spectators may come from a lot of different demographics, but the advice for handling the heat is the same for everyone,” Jenkins said. “Try to stay in front of hydration. Your body needs fluids to function. If you know you’re going to be outside, start drinking water ahead of time.”
Jenkins said, in addition to the ambulance on-site at the tournament, the department has two fire stations four to five minutes from the golf course.
“Anytime you have a large gathering of people in the heat, there’s a potential to have multiple heat-associated problems,” Jenkins said. “But we’re well-prepared to handle anything that happens.”
Jenkins said common sense is the best way to prevent heat stroke.
“Use good judgment and watch out for each other,” Jenkins said. “It’s not just business as usual in 100-degree weather.”