Luke List played Paul Bunyan in preparation for this week’s Sanderson Farms Championship at The Country Club of Jackson.
He did it out of necessity.
List and some of his neighbors were chopping trees that were blocking streets in and out of their Augusta, Georgia, subdivision in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which touched land Sept. 26.
List, a Vanderbilt graduate and Sanderson Farms defending champion, said he and fellow Augusta resident Henrik Norlander will donate $500 for every birdie they make during the tournament to the Red Cross to benefit hurricane victims.
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“Waking up in the early hours and coming out when the sun was out, to see the devastation and the destruction directly on your own home and your neighbors’ homes,” List said Tuesday. “That’s humbling in its own right, just tugging trees.”
List said a neighbor with a Jeep pulled some of the bigger logs off the road and some yards.
As a result of the massive power outage caused by Helene that left many homes without power, including List’s, the 39-year-old from Seattle, Washington, decided to fly to Jackson early with his wife Chloe and their two children.
List said Norlander also arrived in Jackson from Augusta early with his family via car.
The two families had dinner together Monday, when they came up with the idea to donate in the name of Helene victims.
“When you have young children, just keeping them safe and out of harm’s way is the biggest priority, 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,” List said. “Obviously there’s a lot of people that are in privileged positions to give back … especially in hard times like that.
“I encourage anyone to donate to the Red Cross because the areas definitely need it.”
List, who won a five-man playoff at last year’s tournament, will tee off at 10 a.m. ET Thursday with Patton Kizzire and Mackenzie Hughes.
