Watch: Protesters storm the 18th green at Travelers Championship

While Tom Kim and Scottie Scheffler battled for the lead on 18, five climate protesters charged the green, releasing smoke bombs and a powdery substance onto the course before being promptly subdued by police and security.

Activist group Extinction Rebellion NYC claimed responsibility for the disruption. They stated that the protest wasn't against "any individual or organization" but an attempt at raising awareness of record-high temperatures and an ongoing global climate crisis, which golf courses only exacerbate.

They pointed out the environmental issues associated with golf, including excessive water use, carbon-intensive fertilizers and the destruction of woodlands. According to the GCSAA, courses take up an estimated 2.2M acres in the United States alone. 

"Climate catastrophe is already happening across the world right now. In the last few week's we've seen extreme floods in Florida and Texas, heat waves across the Eastern U.S. and wildfires in New Mexico and California," protester Mark Graham said. "Millions have been displaced. It may not be happening to you right here, right now, but it's coming your way soon." 

The cause is a noble one. But there was probably a better way of going about it than disrupting the Travelers Championship on the 18th green, which isn't going to win over many. 

After the brief interruption, Kim nailed a birdie putt to force a playoff. There, Scheffler would par the first hole to win the title.