The final round of the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands faced an unexpected interruption on Sunday when six climate protesters stormed the 18th green, delaying the finish for about five minutes. As the leaders prepared to putt, the protesters waved smoke bombs, leaving a white and red residue on the putting surface. They wore white T-shirts with the slogan “NO GOLF ON A DEAD PLANET” in black lettering.
Scottie Scheffler, Tom Kim, and Akshay Bhatia were lining up their shots when the disruption occurred. “I was scared for my life,” Bhatia said. “I didn’t even really know what was happening. … But thankfully the cops were there and kept us safe.”
The PGA Tour issued a statement thanking the Cromwell Police Department for their swift response, noting that the 18th green remained playable for both the end of regulation and the playoff hole.
Scheffler, who eventually won the tournament, also praised the officers. “From my point of view, they got it taken care of pretty dang fast, and so we were very grateful for that,” said Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player, who defeated Kim on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff for his sixth victory of the year.
“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. “Tom and I both tried to calm each other down so we could give it our best shot there on 18.”
Extinction Rebellion, an activist group known for disrupting events globally, claimed responsibility for the protest. In a statement, they attributed their actions to raising awareness about climate change, citing an electrical storm that injured two people near the course as a consequence of extreme weather conditions. “Golf, more than other events, is heavily reliant on good weather. Golf fans should therefore understand better than most the need for strong, immediate climate action,” the statement read.
After the protesters were removed by police, Scheffler’s 26-foot putt from the fringe missed by a narrow margin, and he tapped in for par. Kim, trailing by one stroke, made a crucial 10-foot birdie putt to tie Scheffler, forcing a playoff.
“It kind of slowed things down,” Kim said of the protest. “It took the meaning of the putt away for a second. For the past 17 and a half holes all you’re thinking about is golf, and suddenly when that happens your mind goes into a complete — like, you’re almost not even playing golf anymore. I thought it was a dream for a second.”
The crowd around the 18th green reacted strongly, heckling the protesters and cheering the police intervention. After the disruption, workers with leaf blowers cleaned the remaining powder, and the hole location was moved for the playoff.
Scheffler won the playoff with a par on the first hole of sudden death. “They left a lot of marks on the greens, which is not right for us players — especially when two guys are trying to win a golf tournament,” Kim said. “But I’m very grateful for the tour and the tour security for handling that really well and making us players feel a lot safer.”
