Just before Scottie Scheffler and Tom Kim were set to conclude their final round in Connecticut, environmental protestors stormed the green at the Travelers Championship, causing a chaotic halt to the action.
At the Travelers Championship, just as Scottie Scheffler and Tom Kim were setting up their putts, five demonstrators brandishing flares stormed the green. The protesters were tackled by the police as soon as the chaos started.
Just as Scheffler and Kim were about to putt, the protesters, with only a one-shot advantage, nervously watched as they ducked past security and headed straight for the green, shooting green smoke into the air. Amid the chaos, security guards wrestled them to the ground.
Other demonstrators released red smoke as the police restrained them and handcuffed them. Within minutes, all of the demonstrators were handcuffed and being led away by security, with jeers and shouts of “USA!” coming from the crowd.
Crucially, the protesters did not touch any markers or golf balls, so Scheffler and Kim resumed their game shortly after the interruption. Only wryly smiling, Scheffler could watch from a few yards away as the demonstrators were taken down.
Beside him, an astonished Kim was left with no choice but to shake his head at the spectacle. The two managed the shock and then decided what to do next. They grinned and reached for their clubs.
At TPC River Highlands, demonstrators were visible wearing t-shirts bearing the catchphrase “No golf on a dead planet.” As police and security guards escorted them off the course, they encountered jeers.
This is the venue’s second disruption in as many days. The play was called off on Saturday because of the hazardous weather. In a different incident, a nearby tree was struck by lightning, resulting in the hospitalization of two spectators. A third person, who was also near the impact, refused to receive medical assistance.
Kim was one stroke behind world No. 1 Scheffler at the time of the protest, with a score of -21 versus -22. Kim putted despite the disruption, coming within a few feet of a red mark made by the demonstrators.
Scheffler sealed the victory at TPC River Highlands in the playoffs that followed the regular season. With this triumph, he has now won six times on the PGA Tour this year and twelve times overall.
