The PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship had a bizarre ending on Sunday afternoon when six protesters ran onto the course during the final hole of the tournament in protest of climate change. And they’ve since released a statement explaining their protest.
During the final hole of regulation on Sunday, protesters ran onto the green from all directions and waved smoke bombs that left red, white, and blue residue on the grass. Some of the protesters were also wearing shirts that read “NO GOLF ON A DEAD PLANET” in black lettering on the front.
The protesters were quickly apprehended by authorities, but they did cause a brief delay in the tournament, halting play for about five minutes.
A group called Extinction Rebellion took credit for the protest, releasing a statement that blamed climate change for Saturday’s electrical storm that injured two people at a home near the golf course at TPC River Highlands.
“This was of course due to increasingly unpredictable and extreme weather conditions,” the group said in a statement according to ESPN. “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 protesters were quickly brought into custody.
[ESPN]
