Pros and Caddies Crowd Into Volunteer's Van During PLAYERS Rain Delay, Creating a Priceless Moment

Mar 13, 2026, 5:35 AM CUT

A sudden downpour at The PLAYERS Championship sent players and caddies scrambling for cover. Three of the tour's biggest names found shelter in the most unlikely of places.

Severe rain at the TPC Sawgrass during The PLAYERS Championship was so sudden that it stopped the entire play, and some of the professional golfers and their caddies were fighting to find some immediate shelter.

As world-class professionals embraced the madness of cramped vehicle seating, Draft Kings' Emerson Lotzia, Jr. shared the image, his friend and volunteer at THE PLAYERS Championship captured in his car.

The euphoric moment came when the once-pristine course was transformed into a cell of rain, causing a washout and an urgent evacuation of the 4th hole.

My buddy Chris just sent me this. His dad Richard has been volunteering at #THEPLAYERS for more than a decade and is camped out on the 4th hole this year. During the rain delay, @akshaybhatia_1, @BKoepka, @tonyfinaugolf and their caddies all piled into his van 😂 what a memory! pic.twitter.com/x8TeyZcMFD
— Emerson Lotzia, Jr. (@EmersonLotzia) March 12, 2026

Chris's father, Richard, a longtime tournament volunteer who has helped at the event for over 10 years, was the one who offered the refuge that led to the viral image with the marooned celebrities.

Akshay Bhatia, Brooks Koepka, and Tony Finau, and their caddies, packed themselves into Richard's van to wait out the storm in an astonishingly small space.

The storm delay offered an unusually personal glimpse at the golfers' human sides. While storm delays often involve just waiting in silence, the group in Richard's van lightened the mood.

Meanwhile, the rain nearly ended The PLAYERS Championship campaign for another pro

Russell Henley ended the first round with a one-under 35 and made par. However, like everyone else, he also had to take shelter from the downpour.

However, unlike Koepka, Bhatia, and Finau, Henley bolted for the clubhouse. There he met fellow pro Ben Griffin and the two sat down for lunch.

Unfortunately, Heley lost track of time while chatting with Griffin. Thankfully, the PGA Tour pro reminded him with just enough time to prepare.

“I didn't stay in place. I was beside the clubhouse, we ran in because I thought it was going to be like a tornado, it was raining really, really hard. When I went inside I was hitting the lunch table and Ben Griffin said, ‘You have a restart in four minutes,’” Russell Henley told reporters.

Yet, what did you think of the moment Emerson Lotzia posted on X? Tell us in the comments.

Written by

Abhishek Sharma

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi