Man saves golf carts at Altadena course during Eaton Fire
As the world woke up to images of Los Angeles burning early on Jan. 8, Connor Boyd raced to one of his favorite places: the Altadena Golf Course.
"Sadly, when I got here, the entire clubhouse was burned down, and the cart barn was half burned down and on fire," Boyd said.
He's had countless tee times at the 115-year-old community staple before the Eaton Fire tore through. Years of his life spent on the greens with friends and loved ones all flashed before his eyes.
"One of the first places I played with my dad and his best friend, where I learned the rules of golf," he said. "I was standing right back there in the parking lot, just watching it all engulfed in flames. It's not a massive country club that's gonna host a PGA tournament, it's just a great place for people to play before work, after work, or just with their kids."
With the cherished memories pacing through his mind, Boyd risked his own safety and rushed to push as many golf carts as he could out of harm's way as blocks of nearby homes caught on fire.
"There was a lot of smoke at the same time," Boyd said. "It was almost getting suppressed by this water main that was broken and just spilling all over the place and all over the carts."
In hindsight, Boyd said he was hoping to save anything from his beloved course as the flames closed in.
"Adrenaline kicked in, and I was like, what can I do? I don't have anything but a hose that's at the golf course and a bucket," he recalled. "I can push these golf carts out so that's all I could really do."
Boyd's selfless action shocked and delighted general manager Johnny Eusebio.
"It wasn't something that he did for likes or views," Eusebio said. "It just shows how much support that he has for our place."
Two months after the deadly wildfire, Boyd is continuing his work to help survivors with the help of Pasadena's nonprofit Door of Hope. Next Monday, he's hosting a golf tournament at Moorpark Country Club to raise money for people who lost their homes. Housing advocate Carmela France said the program will support 50 families with direct support, financial aid and housing. They have already received more than 250 applications.
"Just hope that people can rebuild the way they want to and hopefully as a community because I know entire blocks were leveled, so I'm hoping you know they can all build together and hopefully build it the same," Boyd said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
A frustrated McIlroy smashes a US Open tee marker but makes it to the weekend anyway
OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — First Rory McIlroy flung an iron down the 12th fairway. Then he used driver to demolish a tee marker on 17. He might not win the sportsmanship award at the U.S. Open, but he will get to play on the weekend. McIlroy overcame two rounds of disappointment by draining a 5-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole Friday to finish at 6-over par and guarantee himself a tee time at Oakmont this weekend. Other than the approach shot he hit on 18 to save the week, or the 20-foot birdie he made on 15 after teeing off into the first cut, very little of his first 36 holes was pretty. McIlroy's weekend was still in limbo when he walked to the tee on the drivable par-4 17th hole, then blocked the shot into a greenside bunker. He used his left arm to smash the club down and shatter the nearby tee marker. He made par there. A few hours earlier on the par-5 12th — another decent birdie chance — McIlroy catapulted his iron down the fairway after pulling his second shot into the left rough. He made par there, too. The birdie at the end capped a round of 2-over 72. It did not mask the issues McIlroy has been facing since his driver was deemed non-conforming before the PGA Championship, sending him on a mad search for a reliable replacement. In two rounds this week, McIlroy has hit 15 of 28 fairways, a stat that doesn't include all drivers but is indicative of where his tee game has gone since he won the Masters two months ago to complete the career Grand Slam. At Oakmont, with its ankle-high rough, two missed fairways over McIlroy's first three holes led to a pair of double-bogeys and forced him to play catch-up for the rest of the round — not to climb into contention, but simply to make the weekend. Next comes the search for motivation — something McIlroy conceded has been hard to find since his landmark victory at Augusta National. On the line this week is his string of six straight top-10 finishes at the U.S. Open, including a pair of runner-ups the last two years. He will start the third round nine shots off the lead. ___ AP golf:
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
A frustrated McIlroy smashes a US Open tee marker but makes it to the weekend anyway
OAKMONT, Pa. — First Rory McIlroy flung an iron down the 12th fairway. Then he used driver to demolish a tee marker on 17. He might not win the sportsmanship award at the U.S. Open, but he will get to play on the weekend. McIlroy overcame two rounds of disappointment by draining a 5-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole Friday to finish at 6-over par and guarantee himself a tee time at Oakmont this weekend.
Washington Post
2 hours ago
- Washington Post
A US Open oops for Lowry, who gets a penalty after picking up his ball but forgetting to mark
OAKMONT, Pa. — Shane Lowry was penalized a stroke Friday at the U.S. Open after he accidentally picked up his ball on the 14th green without marking it. If nothing else, it gave Lowry something to laugh about during an otherwise miserable round. The penalty shot gave him a double bogey on the hole and brought his score for the tournament to 16-over par with four holes left.
