A group of protesters stormed onto the 18th hole of the Travelers Championship with what appeared to be smoke grenades and paint, disrupting the final day of the tournament with Scottie Scheffler attempting to close out another win.
The group of climate protesters were taken off the 18th green in handcuffs as fans at TPC River Highlands in Connecticut booed them and called them names.
The commotion started when one protestor in a blue shirt and golf hat ran onto the course with a cylinder-looking item emanating yellow smoke.
Climate change protestors are ushered off the 18th green by police officers during the final round of the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands on June 23, 2024 Getty ImagesPolice officers could be seen immediately chasing after the intruder and the broadcast showed what appeared to be another cylinder-looking item that went flying across the screen with red smoke coming out of it.
“When something like that happens, you don’t really know what’s happening, So it can kind of rattle you a little bit,” Scheffler said. “That can be a stressful situation, and you would hate for the tournament to end on something weird happening because of a situation like that,” he said. “Tom and I both tried to calm each other down so we could give it our best shot there on 18.”
Climate change protestors are ushered off the 18th green by police officers during the final round of the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands on June 23, 2024 AP
Protesters are led away after they ran onto the course as Scottie Scheffler, center, looks on at the 18th hole during the final round of the Travelers Championship, AP
Videos posted to social media showed the chaos continuing as several other protesters ran onto the course and authorities quickly took them to the ground to apprehend them.
WROC-TV sports director Thad Brown reported that five protesters were taken away by police and paint was left on the 18th green, where all of the events transpired.
“I was scared for my life,” Akshay Bhatia said. “I didn’t even really know what was happening. … But thankfully the cops were there and kept us safe, because that’s, you know, that’s just weird stuff.”
Climate change protestors are ushered off the 18th green by police officers during the final round of the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands on June 23, 2024 APBroadcast footage showed course and PGA Tour officials looking at the green and trying to clean up the paint that had stained the course during the chaos.
One member of the green staff was seen trying to wipe up the paint with a towel.
After things settled down, Tom Kim nailed the tying birdie putt to force a playoff with Scheffler and the two seemed to share a laugh over the absurdity of the situation.
Climate change protestors are ushered off the 18th green by police officers during the final round of the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands on June 23, 2024 Getty Images
Climate change protestors are ushered off the 18th green by police officers during the final round of the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands on June 23, 2024 Getty ImagesAfter the putt was sunk, the greens crew returned to work to clean up the remaining residue on the course.
At one point two men could be seen using leaf blowers to clear off what appeared to be paint.
Scheffler went on to win the playoff for his sixth PGA Tour victory this season.
— with AP
