Scottie Scheffler outlasts climate protest on 18th green, Tom Kim to win Travelers for 6th victory of year

Jimmy Golen, Associated Press sports writer

CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler had to hold retired a ambiance protestation connected nan 18th greenish and Tom Kim’s tying birdie connected nan past spread of regulation.

Those events only delayed what seems to beryllium inevitable connected nan PGA Tour this season: nan champion golfer successful nan world stepping disconnected pinch nan trophy.

Shrugging disconnected a protestation that interrupted nan tourney connected nan 72nd spread while nan leaders were lining up their putts, Scheffler won nan Travelers Championship connected nan first spread of abrupt decease connected Sunday for his sixth triumph of nan year, nan astir successful 1 play connected nan PGA Tour since Tiger Woods had six successful 2009.

“When thing for illustration that happens, you don’t really cognize what’s happening, So it tin benignant of rattle you a small bit,” Scheffler said.

“That tin beryllium a stressful situation, and you would dislike for nan tourney to extremity connected thing weird happening because of a business for illustration that,” he said. “Tom and I some tried to calm each different down truthful we could springiness it our champion changeable location connected 18.”

Scheffler closed pinch a 5-under 65 and a 22-under 258 full astatine nan TPC River Highlands, and Kim matched him pinch a final-round 66.

Tom Hoge and Sungjae Im tied for third, 2 shots back, pinch Patrick Cantlay, Tony Finau, Justin Thomas and Akshay Bhatia tied for 5th astatine 18 under. Bhatia was besides successful nan last group that was disrupted by nan protest.

“I was frightened for my life,” he said. “I didn’t moreover really cognize what was happening. … But thankfully nan cops were location and kept america safe, because that’s, you know, that’s conscionable weird stuff.”

It was Scheffler’s 4th triumph of nan twelvemonth successful nan tour’s $20 million, limited-field signature events, earning him a payday of $3.6 million. He besides won nan Masters and The Players Championship.

And Scheffler still has 2 months to go.

“As overmuch arsenic I emotion him, I would person loved to return that distant from him,” said Kim, who shares a day and a relationship pinch Scheffler. “But I’m happy for him, and aft I tapped out, aft he tapped out, he said immoderate really bully words, and it meant a batch to me.”

Scheffler had a one-stroke lead heading to nan 18th greenish connected Sunday erstwhile six group stormed nan course, waving fume bombs that near a reddish and achromatic powdery residue connected nan putting surface. Some wore achromatic T-shirts pinch nan words “NO GOLF ON A DEAD PLANET” successful achromatic lettering.

They were tackled by constabulary and taken off.

The activistic group Extinction Rebellion, which has a history of disrupting events astir nan world, claimed work for nan protest. In a connection emailed to The Associated Press, nan group blamed ambiance alteration for an electrical large wind that injured 2 group astatine a location adjacent nan people connected Saturday.

After a hold of astir 5 minutes, erstwhile tourney officials utilized towels and blowers to region nan powder and immoderate different marks that mightiness impact play, Scheffler near a 26-foot putt from nan fringe connected nan separator of nan cup and tapped successful for par.

Kim past made a 10-foot birdie putt for a 66 to lucifer Scheffler.

“Obviously it is simply a disruption and you don’t want it to happen, but for maine it conscionable benignant of slowed things down,” Kim said. “It took nan meaning of nan putt distant for a second. Because for nan past 17 and a half holes each you’re reasoning astir is golf, and abruptly erstwhile that happens your mind goes into a complete — like, you’re almost not moreover playing play anymore. I thought it was a dream for a second.”

The spread location connected nan 18th was moved for nan playoff to debar nan parts of nan greenish affected by nan protesters.

Scheffler deed his attack successful nan playoff to 11 feet while Kim recovered a greenside bunker. Kim’s blast from a plugged dishonesty ran 36 feet past nan hole, leaving Scheffler pinch an easy two-putt par for nan victory. Afterward, his wife, Meredith, met him connected nan green, carrying their 6-week-old son, Bennett.

“It’s nosy competing against your friends,” Scheffler said. “But astatine nan aforesaid time, it’s difficult. Because portion of maine wants him to miss nan putt and portion of maine wants him to make nan putt. … But he should retrieve that putt he made connected 18, because it was beautiful special. And he’s a awesome subordinate and a awesome champion.”

Coming disconnected a necktie for 41st successful nan U.S. Open – by acold his worst decorativeness of nan twelvemonth — Scheffler trailed Kim by 3 strokes aft nan first round, by 2 aft nan 2nd information and by 1 heading to nan tee connected Sunday.

Scheffler took a one-shot lead complete Kim pinch 3 consecutive birdies connected Nos. 13-15 — he had putts for eagle connected 2 of them. While Hoge signed for a 62 to decorativeness astatine 20 under, and Im joined him there, Scheffler and Kim matched pars complete nan adjacent 2 holes to group up nan astonishing finish.

Scheffler and Kim stock a June 21 day — Scheffler is six years older — and they celebrated pinch New Haven pizza earlier nan tourney astir 30 miles north. The Dallas-area residents played together successful nan last group connected Sunday, chatting and joking around.

But only 1 of them could clasp nan trophy astatine nan end.

And conscionable for illustration it’s been truthful often, it was Scheffler.

Kim said being successful a battalion of leaders pinch his day buddy allowed him to attraction connected his ain game.

“You don’t request to interest astir him, because he’s going to play well,” Kim said. “Obviously he’s a phenomenal player, world No. 1, each those titles. But astatine nan aforesaid clip for maine he’s conscionable Scottie Scheffler, he’s conscionable a bully friend.

“To travel down pinch personification that I play a batch of play with, who thumps maine a batch astatine location — and, unfortunately, he hit maine successful nan playoff too,” Kim said. “But it decidedly made it a batch much enjoyable retired there.”

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Protesters tally onto nan people arsenic Scottie Scheffler, right, walks distant connected nan 18th spread during nan last information of nan Travelers Championship play tourney astatine TPC River Highlands, Sunday, June 23 successful Cromwell, Conn. | Seth Wenig, Associated Press