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The end of the Vacationers Championship was thrown into chaos.
James Gilbert/Getty Pictures
In what already has been a weird 12 months for golf information — particularly information involving the World No. 1 and police intervention — issues received even weirder Sunday on the conclusion of the Travelers Championship.
As the ultimate group of Scottie Scheffler, Tom Kim and Akshay Bhatia approached the 18th inexperienced through the closing spherical at TPC River Highlands, with Scheffler main Kim by a stroke, 5 environmental activists emerged from the group and stormed the inexperienced, spraying a coloured powder or paint substance on the placing floor.
Play was suspended for a number of minutes as authorities apprehended the protesters, who represented the local weather activism group, Extinction Rise up.
“I imply, I used to be scared for my life. I didn’t even actually know what was taking place,” Bhatia stated after the spherical. “I used to be in shock and my coronary heart fee was excessive. It received low after which as soon as that form of occurred I used to be simply freaked out, I simply tried recover from the place everybody was.”
The craziness began as Scheffler was starting to measurement up a 27-foot birdie putt that might have put the event out of attain for Kim. The primary protester ran out from the group and into the entrance proper greenside bunker. Kim himself had a 10-footer after a clutch strategy to doubtlessly power a playoff.
“It form of took just like the that means of the putt form of a approach for a second,” Kim stated. “As a result of like for the previous 17 and a half holes all you’re excited about is golf, and instantly when that occurs you’re similar to, your thoughts goes into an entire, like, you’re virtually not even taking part in golf anymore, like persons are, safety guards — like I believed it was a dream for a second.”
Scheffler began strolling again towards Kim — each of whom regarded bewildered — as the primary protester descended on the inexperienced carrying smoke canisters. A can of crimson paint or energy was tossed onto the inexperienced only a few ft from the opening location.
“They only got here flying down the hill out of the gallery,” Jim Nantz stated on the CBS broadcast.
James Gilbert/Getty Pictures
The Cromwell Police Division rapidly apprehended the 5 protesters, of whom 4 have been sporting shirts that learn “No golf on a useless planet.” They have been led away in handcuffs as the group within the amphitheater-like setting across the 18th inexperienced began chanting obscenities, forcing CBS to briefly minimize the audio feed.
Extinction Rise up claimed duty for the protest in a press launch despatched after the event had concluded. The identical group had protested outdoors the gates of the DP World Tour’s KLM Open Sunday within the Netherlands, delaying the final round there by two hours.
As soon as the scene was below management, Scheffler, Bhatia and Kim exchanged a number of smiles. The group erupted into chants of “USA! USA! USA!”
Regardless of all of the chaos, the 18th inexperienced was not broken except for paint and powder.
In all, it took lower than two minutes for the protesters to be cleared from the inexperienced, however PGA Tour officers and the TPC River Highlands upkeep employees have been referred to as in to deal with the way to end off play.
After a chaotic protest on 18th green, Scottie Scheffler wins Travelers
Employees cleaned off the inexperienced as greatest as they might, however white powder sat immediately between Bhatia’s ball and the cup. Under Rule 16, Bhatia was given aid from the irregular course situation and moved his ball a number of ft to the left earlier than he two-putted for par to complete the event at 18 below.
Scheffler missed his birdie putt whereas Kim made his to power a playoff, with each ending at 22 below.
“Who prepares for somebody, for 4 folks to run with — I don’t know what that they had, however they left a number of marks on the greens, which isn’t proper for us gamers, particularly when two guys are attempting to win a golf event,” Kim stated. “However I’m very grateful for the Tour and the Tour safety for dealing with that actually effectively and making us gamers really feel rather a lot safer.”
With the crimson paint was nonetheless seen subsequent to the unique gap location, Tour officers and course upkeep employees determined to chop a brand new gap for the playoff.
The outlet was moved to the entrance left a part of the inexperienced and Kim and Scheffler got an opportunity to examine it earlier than using out to the tee for a playoff.
Scheffler made par to win the playoff after Kim had knocked his second within the greenside bunker and made bogey. It was Scheffler’s sixth victory of the season and twelfth of his PGA Tour profession, however actually none ended like this.
