Six climate protesters run onto the 18th green and spray dust, delaying the end of the PGA Tour event

CROMWELL, Conn. – Six people protesting climate change stormed the 18th green as the leaders lined up their shots on the final hole of regulation at the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship on Sunday, delaying their finish by about five minutes.

Protesters sprayed white and red powder, leaving stains on the grass before Scottie Scheffler, Tom Kim and Akshay Bhatia finished their rounds. At least one member of the group wore a white T-shirt with the words “NO GOLF ON A DEAD PLANET” in black letters across the front.

“I was scared for my life,” Bhatia said after finishing tied for fifth – four strokes behind Scheffler, who claimed his sixth victory of the year. “I didn’t even really know what was happening. …But luckily the cops were there and kept us safe, because this, you know, is a weird thing.

After the protesters were approached by police and removed, Scheffler left a potential 26-foot clincher on the right edge of the cup and then tapped in for par. Kim, who trailed by one stroke heading into the final hole, sank a 10-foot birdie putt to tie Scheffler and send the tournament to a sudden-death playoff.

Kim said the protest took his mind off the pressure.

“It kind of slowed things down,” he said. “That took away the meaning of the shot for a second. Because for the last 17 and a half holes all you think about is golf, and suddenly when that happens, your mind is complete – like, you’re almost not even playing golf anymore. I thought it was a dream for a second.”

The crowd surrounding the 18th lawn harassed the protesters by shouting obscenities and applauded the police who intervened.

After players were eliminated in regulation, workers with leaf blowers went out to clean up the remaining powder, and the hole location was moved for the playoff, which began on the 18th. Scheffler beat Kim with a pair on the first playoff hole.

“They left a lot of marks on the greens, which is not right for us golfers – especially when two guys are trying to win a golf tournament,” Kim said. “But I’m really grateful for the tour and tour security for handling it really well and making us players feel a lot safer.”

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