People who appeared to be climate protesters caused a bizarre end to the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship on Monday morning.
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler eventually beat young gun Tom Kim on a playoff hole, but only after their original showdown on the 18th was interrupted by a number of protesters storming the green and throwing a coloured substance onto the putting surface.
The intruders were wearing t-shirts that included the phrase “no golf on a dead planet”.
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Police officers swarmed the green and apprehended as many as five people, while Scheffler, Kim and Akshay Bhatia stood waiting for the commotion to end so they could continue playing.
The rest of the crowd booed the actions of the protesters, who left red powder on the green barely a metre away from the cup.
Climate protestors are ushered off the 18th green by police officers during the final round of the Travelers Championship. Getty
“They’ve been tackled on the ground, on the green, police have responded quickly,” CBS commentator Jim Nantz said.
“They just came flying down the hill out of the gallery.”
TV analyst Mark Dusbabek noted, “it’s unfortunate that it’s making the players wait like this”.
Fellow commentator Mark Immelman conceded the disruption would have impacted the focus of Scheffler and Kim.
“As a professional athlete you try to visualise and imagine all the different things you might have to go through,” Immelman said.
“I’m not sure this is one of the things you ever conjure up in your mind.”
Climate change protestors rush the 18th green as Scottie Scheffler looks on. Getty
The players were given permission to slightly move their ball if the powder impacted their line, which Bhatia did.
“It is considered an abnormal condition,” Dusbabek explained.
Scheffler held a one-shot lead over 22-year-old Kim but the top men’s player in the world then missed his birdie putt, and Kim birdied to send it to a playoff.
The hole location on the 18th was moved for the playoff to avoid the parts of the green affected by the intruders.
Scheffler hit a four again on the 18th while Kim hit an errant approach shot into a bunker and carded a five to hand his opponent the victory.
Tom Kim of South Korea prepares to putt on the 18th green while avoiding the red powder left by protesters. Getty
Scheffler and Kim had shared a pizza dinner earlier in the week given they share a birthday – although Scheffler is six years Kim’s senior.
The victory was Scheffler’s sixth of the year. That’s the most in one PGA Tour season since Tiger Woods won six in 2009.
And Scheffler still has two months to go.
It was his fourth victory of the year in the PGA Tour’s $30 million limited-field, no-cut signature events, earning him a payday of $5.4 million. He also won the Masters and The Players Championship.
Scheffler closed with a 5-under 65 for a four-day total of 22-under at the TPC River Highlands.
– with AP