Sunday’s final round of The Player’s Championship was postponed after climate agitators stormed the 18th green and left powered paint residue on the grass.
Their antics suspended play and could have affected the outcome of the tournament, which Scottie Scheffler eventually won after a playoff.
Patriotic golf fans also fired back at the radical activists with chants of, “USA! USA!”
As the four-day tournament at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, was drawing to a close on Sunday evening, Scheffler and Tom Kim were vying for the win.
Scheffler needed a birdie on the 18th to close out the tournament with the victory, while Kim needed to sink a birdie and for Scheffler to miss his putt.
However, six demonstrators wearing shirts that read “No golf on a dead planet” stormed the green with smoke canisters, and play was suspended, ESPN reported.
Videos posted on social media showed the climate agitators were booed.
With Scottie Scheffler leading by one shot and Tom Kim 10 feet away for a tying birdie…
Protesters run all over the 18th green at the @PGATOUR Travelers Championship. Five in all taken away by police.
Paint left on the green. But no marker or ball disturbed. pic.twitter.com/nA7y1MgbVH
— Thad Brown (@thadbrown7) June 23, 2024
One man screamed, “Get out of here, you “f***ers.”
WARNING: The following video contains language that might offend some viewers.
PROTESTORS STORM THE 18TH AT TPC RIVER HIGHLANDS@NUCLRGOLF @PGATUOR @GolfDigest pic.twitter.com/JSjcYidOaR
— TrackingScheffler (@SchefflerLegion) June 23, 2024
Scheffler, leading by a stroke, shared a look of dismay.
Police officers could be seen chasing one fanatical demonstrator through a bunker. The “USA!” chant broke out as the scene was quickly secured.
#BREAKING Climate Activists from Extinction Rebellion Set off Smoke Bombs as they STORM THE GREEN at the 18th Hole of the PGA Tour as SCOTTIE SCHEFFLERS was finishing his game. pic.twitter.com/jDV3hURz5F
— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) June 23, 2024
Multiple police officers tackled the climate activists, leading PGA officials to decide what to do with the green, which was stained, CNN reported.
A decision was ultimately made to move the pin, and Scheffler missed a 10-foot putt to take home the trophy. He defeated Kim on the next hole.
Scheffler later said he did not quite know what to make of the situation.
“You don’t really know what is going on, you don’t really understand the situation,” he said after his sixth tournament victory of the year. “There’s people running around everywhere and you don’t really know what’s going to happen.”
Kim also complained about the antics of the demonstrators.
Are you a fan of Scottie Scheffler?
“Yeah, it was a lot to go with. Who prepares for someone, for four people to run with, I don’t know what they had, but 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,” he said, according to Golf Digest.
“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,” Kim concluded.
The PGA also issued a statement about the incident in which it said no damage had been done to the green at TPC River Highlands.
“Protesters at the Travelers Championship during Sunday’s final round were immediately arrested by members of law enforcement,” the PGA said.
“The powder on the green was removed, resulting in no damage to the 18th green,” it said. “Our thanks to the Cromwell Police Department for their quick and decisive action.”
Police arrested multiple people, all of whom were charged with counts of criminal mischief, criminal trespass and breach of peace.
They were released on bonds of $5,000 and given court dates for July 1.
