Protestors stormed the 18th green during the final round of the Travelers Championship Sunday afternoon.
As Tom Kim stood on the final green with a chance to force a playoff against World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, with the pair poised to take their final putts on the 18th, the gripping finale of the PGA Tour’s final non-cut signature event took another twist.
A group of climate change protesters, believed to be representing Just Stop Oil, slipped under the ropes, bypassed Cromwell police and stormed the putting surface in astonishing scenes.
The fairway invaders, who appeared to be wearing climate change messages on their t-shirts, tossed red, white and yellow powder at the golf course, with one even trampling through a greenside bunker.
The group of six were swiftly arrested by law enforcement on site and carted away. However, the destruction they left in their wake delayed the thrilling end to the tournament.
Protestors stormed the 18th green during the final round of the Travelers Championship
Tour officials were called to the green where groundskeepers waited with leaf blowers ready to be called into action.
Some of the intruders wore t-shirts with the message ‘No Golf On A Dead Planet’ emblazoned across the front.
Police handcuffed at least five people, according to CBS play-by-play man Jim Nantz.
After they were escorted off the course, Scheffler left a potential 26-foot clincher from the fringe on the right edge of the cup, then tapped in for par.
If the delay heightened Kim’s nerves at all he didn’t show it. Following the greenside drama, the 22-year-old calmly stepped up and sank his birdie putt to tie the world’s top-ranked golfer and force a play off.
Scheffler eventually held his nerve in the playoff to prevail on a dramatic day over in Connecticut, marking his sixth win on the PGA Tour this year.
He came out on top for the second time in three weeks, capturing the Memorial Tournament prior to last week’s struggles at the US Open.
Climate change activists stormed the green just before a crucial Scottie Scheffler (right) putt
The fairway invaders, who appeared to be wearing climate change messages on their t-shirts, tossed red, white and yellow powder at the golf course
Police handcuffed at least five people as World No. 1 Scheffler watched on in Connecticut
Scheffler shot 5-under 65 in the final round, but Kim’s 66 with a 10-foot birdie putt on the last hole forced the extra golf. On the last hole of regulation, Scheffler left his approach on the left fringe and two-putted from there. Kim’s approach shot was within a couple of inches of the hole before rolling back before he converted the must-make putt to extend the tournament.
The duo played No. 18 again in the playoff, with Kim’s approach short and in a bunker. After blasting out, he couldn’t roll in a long par putt.
As many as a dozen golfers made the turn at TPC River Highlands with a reasonable chance at winning the tournament. There were several golfers within three shots of the lead for stretches of the day, while four golfers were tied at one point on the backside.
Tee times were pushed up more than two hours after weather-related interruptions Friday and Saturday, so golfers played in threesomes.