CROMWELL, Conn. — Six people protesting climate change came out of the crowd and stormed the 18th green while the leaders were lining up their putts on the final hole of regulation at the Travelers Championship on Sunday, delaying the finish for about five minutes.
The 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 of the group was wearing a white T-shirt that said, “NO GOLF ON A DEAD PLANET.”
According to the Cromwell Police Department, Sayak Mukhopadhyay, 51, of White Plains, N.Y., William Regan, 45, of Washington, D.C., Emily Smith, 35, of Maryland, N.Y. and three from Brooklyn, N.Y., including Jeffrey Marsar, 31, Lydia Wooley, 25 and Mark Graham, 55 were arrested on charges of criminal mischief in the first degree, criminal trespass in the first degree and breach of peace.
All were released on a $5,000 bond and are expected to appear at Middletown Superior Court on July 1.
After the protesters were tackled by police and taken off, Scheffler left a potential 26-foot clincher from the fringe on the right edge of the cup, 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.
Scheffler won with a par on the first playoff hole, the 18th. After the players finished in regulation, workers with leaf blowers came out to clean off the remaining powder, and the hole location was moved before the playoff.
The crowd surrounding the 18th green heckled the protesters by yelling profanities and cheered the police who intervened.
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