Scottie Scheffler found it quite odd when climate activists stormed the 18th green during the final round of the Travelers Championship.
Despite this interruption, he managed to secure his sixth win of the season after a playoff against Tom Kim at TPC River Highlands. The protesters from Extinction Rebellion halted play by throwing colored powder on the green.
PROTESTORS STORM THE 18TH AT TPC RIVER HIGHLANDS@NUCLRGOLF @PGATUOR @GolfDigest
— TrackingScheffler (@SchefflerLegion)
Connecticut police quickly arrested the activists as Scheffler and Kim were finishing up their rounds. Kim joined Scheffler at 22-under with a birdie on his last hole. Akshay Bhatia, also in the final group, admitted he was scared and agreed that it was a strange situation .
Scheffler explained later how unsettling it was: “I saw someone out of the corner of my eye, then five police officers running around. They handled it fast, but you don’t know what’s happening, so it’s stressful.”
Unexpected Drama:
All three players were on high alert after the incident. While waiting for law enforcement to handle things, they leaned on each other for support to ensure they could finish strong without mistakes due to stress. Fans might think this added drama made an already exciting tournament even more intense.
Scheffler said: “You could see me talking with Akshay and Tom trying to calm down. We didn’t want something weird to ruin our game.”
After completing 72 holes and signing scorecards, officials decided to cut a new hole for the playoff away from where protesters had caused damage. Scheffler took advantage of this new spot and sank a par putt to continue his successful year.
Earlier that day in Amsterdam at The International Golf Club, Extinction Rebellion members delayed the KLM Open start by blocking its entrance. Activists wore shirts saying: “No golf on a dead planet.” They later clarified their protest wasn’t against golf but aimed at raising awareness about climate issues.
Their statement read: “On June 23rd, we disrupted play at Travelers Championship during Scottie Scheffler’s round not as an attack on anyone but to highlight global climate dangers.”
What do you think about these protests?
