As Scottie Scheffler approached the 18th green, he found himself in the midst of a climate protest, causing him to wait for it to clear before continuing. Adding to the tension was Tom Kim’s birdie on the final hole of regulation, which tied the game and further delayed Scheffler’s chance to clinch the victory.
It appears that the PGA Tour this season is headed towards a predictable outcome: the world’s top golfer claiming the trophy. The recent events may have caused some delays, but the ultimate result remains the same.
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Despite a protest that interrupted the tournament on the 72nd hole while the leaders were lining up their putts, Scheffler emerged as the champion of the Travelers Championship on Sunday. He secured his sixth win of the year, which is the highest number of wins in a single season on the PGA Tour since Tiger Woods had six in 2009. Scheffler clinched the victory on the first hole of sudden death, shrugging off the protest to claim a well-deserved win.
Scheffler expressed, “It can be quite unnerving when an incident like that takes place, as you’re not entirely sure what’s going on. It has the potential to shake you up a bit.”
“He said that the situation could be stressful, and it would be disappointing for the tournament to end on a strange note due to such a circumstance,” he explained. “Tom and I attempted to soothe each other’s nerves so that we could perform our best on the 18th hole.”
Kim and Scheffler both finished strong, with Kim shooting a final-round 66 and Scheffler carding a 5-under 65, bringing their respective totals to 22-under 258 at the TPC River Highlands.
Tom Hoge and Sungjae Im are currently tied for third place, trailing by just two shots. Behind them, Patrick Cantlay, Tony Finau, Justin Thomas, and Akshay Bhatia are all tied for fifth place, with a score of 18 under. It’s worth noting that Bhatia was also part of the final group that was interrupted by the protest.
“He said he was terrified,” recounted the witness. “He didn’t fully comprehend the situation. … Fortunately, the presence of law enforcement ensured our safety, because the entire incident was just bizarre.”
Scheffler has emerged victorious for the fourth time this year in the tour’s exclusive $20 million events, bagging a whopping $3.6 million. In addition to the Masters and The Players Championship, this win adds another feather to his cap.
Scheffler still has two more months remaining.
Kim expressed her love for Scheffler, but at the same time, wished she could have taken away his victory. Kim and Scheffler share a special bond as they were born on the same day and have a close friendship. However, despite her initial disappointment, Kim is happy for Scheffler’s success. After both of them tapped out, Scheffler complimented Kim with kind words, which she appreciated a lot.
As Scheffler approached the 18th green on Sunday with a one-stroke lead, the course was suddenly stormed by six individuals. They were waving smoke bombs that left behind a red and white powdery residue on the putting surface. These individuals were wearing white T-shirts with the bold message “NO GOLF ON A DEAD PLANET” in black lettering.
Police tackled them and removed them from the scene.
According to a statement sent to The Associated Press, the activist group Extinction Rebellion claimed responsibility for the recent protest. The group, known for staging disruptive events globally, attributed the cause of the protest to the effects of climate change, citing an electrical storm that resulted in two individuals being injured at a nearby residence over the weekend.
Following a brief delay of approximately five minutes, tournament officials utilized towels and blowers to eliminate any powder or other marks that could impact play. Scheffler then proceeded to leave a 26-foot putt from the fringe of the cup, only to tap it in for a par.
Scheffler’s score of 66 was matched by Kim, who sealed the deal with a 10-foot birdie putt.
Kim expressed that the interruption was undoubtedly disruptive, but for her, it served as a momentary slowdown. She explained that the occurrence took away the significance of the putt for a brief moment. Throughout the previous 17 and a half holes, she was solely focused on golf, and the sudden disruption caused her mind to shift into a state where she felt as though she was not even playing golf anymore. She even described the moment as feeling like a dream.
To ensure a fair playoff, the organizers moved the hole location on the 18th, taking into account the areas of the green that were affected by the protesters.
During the playoff, Scheffler’s approach shot landed just 11 feet away from the hole, while Kim, on the other hand, found himself in a greenside bunker. Unfortunately, Kim’s blast from a plugged lie ran 36 feet past the hole, leaving Scheffler with a straightforward two-putt par to clinch the win. Following the victory, Scheffler’s wife, Meredith, came out to meet him on the green, carrying their 6-week-old son, Bennett.
Scheffler expressed his thoughts on competing against friends, stating that while it is enjoyable, it can also be a challenging experience. He admitted to feeling torn between wanting his friend to miss the putt and wanting them to succeed. However, Scheffler acknowledged the impressive putt made by his friend on the 18th hole and commended him as a talented player and champion.
After finishing a disappointing tie for 41st in the U.S. Open, which was his worst performance of the year, Scheffler found himself trailing Kim by three strokes after the first round, then by two strokes after the second round, and finally by just one stroke as he headed to the tee on Sunday.
In an impressive display of skill, Scheffler secured a one-shot lead over Kim by sinking three consecutive birdies on holes 13-15. He even had opportunities for eagle putts on two of those holes. Despite Hoge finishing at an impressive 20 under with a score of 62, along with Im, Scheffler and Kim managed to maintain their positions by matching pars over the next two holes. This set the stage for a thrilling and unexpected conclusion to the tournament.
On June 21st, both Scheffler and Kim celebrated their birthdays with a New Haven pizza before their tournament, which was about 30 miles north. Scheffler, who is six years older than Kim, had the pleasure of playing in the final group with him on Sunday. The two Dallas-area residents had a great time chatting and joking around.
At the end, the trophy could only be held by one of them.
Scheffler once again demonstrated his skill and prowess, as he has done many times before.
According to Kim, being in a group of leaders with his birthday buddy enabled him to concentrate on his own performance.
Kim reassured, “No need to worry about him, he’s going to perform exceptionally well. Although he’s a world-renowned player and holds numerous titles, to me, he’s simply Scottie Scheffler, a dear friend.”
Kim expressed his experience of playing with a frequent golf partner who usually beats him, and unfortunately, also won against him in the playoff. Despite that, Kim found the game more enjoyable with his fellow golfer.
