GOLF
What we know about the six arrested on 18th hole of PGA Travelers Championship
Scottie Scheffler needed a play-off to secure another title at the TPC River Highlands course, but not before protestors invaded the last hole.
The final stages of the PGA Travelers Championship on Sunday were interrupted by a group of activists who stormed the 18th green at TPC River Highlands. The disruption took place as the tournament’s leader, and eventual winner, Scottie Scheffler, along with Tom Kim and Akshay Bhatia, were lining up their putts on the 18th green.
As Scheffler and Kim prepared, six individuals emerged from the gallery and ran onto the green. The protestors carried smoke bombs, which emitted clouds of red and white powder across the playing surface, including near the cup. Some of the activists wore shirts with the message ‘NO GOLF ON A DEAD PLANET.’ Bhatia later described the moment as frightening, saying, “I was scared for my life.”
Security personnel at the event swiftly detained the six protestors, and as they were escorted off the course, many of the clearly annoyed fans responded with chants of “U-S-A.”
Who were the Travelers Championship protestors?
While the immediate attention was focused on removing the invaders, cleaning up the mess and getting the tournament concluded, which was all achieved very efficiently, questions then turned to what the group was trying to achieve. The environmental activist group Extinction Rebellion were quick to claim responsibility for the protest in a subsequent news release.
The group stated that their actions were not aimed at any individual or organisation but were, as with most of their activities, intended to draw attention to the broader issue of climate change. This disruption, they said, was nothing compared to the impacts of extreme weather events.
Kent Pierce reported overnight for Connecticut’s News 8 WTNH-TV from the Cromwell police department on the protestors.
Next up for the PGA Tour is a trip to the Detroit Golf Club in Michigan for the Rocket Mortgage Classic, beginning on Thursday 27 June. No doubt security will be stepped up even further in an attempt to prevent any similar interruptions to play.