Chaska Police Chief Scott Knight didn't want to see golf fans at Hazeltine National Gold Club spiritually unprovided for again.
Knight, a parishioner of the Basilica of St Mary in Minneapolis, formed a group of chaplains to serve at major PGA golf tournaments at the Chaska course following a tragic lightning strike at the US Open in 1991. Injuries and a death occurred at the course.
"I was a sergeant at that time, in charge of our event field operations," Knight told The Catholic Spirit, newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. "Clearly, we had an immediate need for pastoral care, but having clergy there on-site had not been a part of the plan. I have deployed chaplains ever since at these major events. We need chaplains - on deck - as an important part of our plan."
