With the Augusta National Golf Club clubhouse in the background, Joe Thalman got down on one knee, pulled out an antique diamond ring and asked his girlfriend of seven months to marry him.
Tina O’Flaherty said yes.
The couple had stood in line Wednesday morning for a photo at Founders Circle, where yellow flowers form the Masters Tournament logo. After a quick snapshot, Thalman asked photographers for one more close-up.
“You’re the woman of my dreams, honey,” Thalman said as O’Flaherty gasped. She wrapped her arms around Thalman and gave him a big kiss. The photo line cheered and shouted: “Did she say ‘yes’?”
The proposal capped off a whirlwind romance for the couple from Corona del Mar, Calif. O’Flaherty’s first husband died one year ago Friday, and Thalman’s son, Josh, died six weeks after the couple met on a blind date in September.
Early in the relationship, Thalman invited O’Flaherty to attend the Masters with him. Her son, Brian, played on the Canadian Professional Golf Tour.
“This is a landmark moment in a landmark place,” said Thalman, who planned the proposal for months. “It’s incredibly special.”
O’Flaherty said she noticed Thalman was anxious Wednesday but did not expect the proposal. She tried to stop in at the merchandise shop, but he nervously urged her to move along to Founders Circle.
“I guess we’ll have to come back (to the Masters) now,” she said.
The couple plan to get married Labor Day weekend at a golf course in Orange County, Calif.
Browse a slideshow of photos from the surprise event
Fans enjoy a picture in front of the Augusta National Clubhouse