An unexpected scene unfolded near the end of the Travelers Championship on Sunday after a group of protesters caused a significant delay on the final hole.
Scottie Scheffler had a one-shot lead over Tom Kim with both players standing on the 18th green at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. As Scheffler was trying to get a read on a long birdie putt for the win, several people ran out from the gallery and threw some sort of powdery substance on the green.
Several individuals could be seen running onto the green from different sections of the gallery:
Security personnel immediately tackled the protesters and escorted them off the course, but two areas of white power and one area of red powder remained on the putting surface.
Scheffler missed his birdie putt and tapped in for par. Kim then had 10 feet for his birdie to force a playoff, and he drained the putt despite the unexpected distraction.
The 18th hole is used for playoffs at the Travelers Championship. Before Scheffler and Kim played the hole again, course officials made the decision to change the hole location so the powder substance would not have as much of an impact on play. Since a playoff is not technically part of the original 18-hole final round, rules allow for the placement of the pin to be changed.
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