World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler knows how to handle chaos on the PGA Tour in all its various forms.
Scheffler won the first playoff hole with a par to capture the Travelers Championship on Sunday in Cromwell, Conn., defeating South Korea’s Tom Kim after what briefly became a hectic scene a hole earlier at TPC River Highlands.
As the final group was on the 18th green for the final hole of regulation, five protesters ran onto the course, setting off smoke grenades and spreading a powdered substance on the green. They were apprehended by police, and there was a delay as the area was cleaned up before the golfers putted.
“You really didn’t know what was happening,” Scheffler said.
Scheffler had left his approach on the left fringe and two-putted from there. Kim’s approach shot was within a couple inches of the hole before rolling back, where he converted the must-make putt to extend the tournament.
The duo played No. 18 again in the playoff, aiming at a new hole location that tournament officials set up to avoid the stray powder. Kim’s approach shot was short and landed in a bunker. After blasting out, he couldn’t roll in a long par putt.
“I wish I would have had a bit more of a chance,” Kim said.
Even with protesters interrupting the tournament, not much is slowing down Scheffler, who won for the sixth time on the PGA Tour this year, all since the beginning of March. He prevailed for the second time in three weeks, capturing the Memorial Tournament prior to last week’s struggles at the U.S. Open.
“It has been a great season,” Scheffler said. “I’ve been fortunate to come away with some wins, and it has been a lot of fun. Tom played his heart out today.”
Scheffler became the fourth player with six or more tour wins in a year in the last 40 years. Not since Arnold Palmer in 1962 has a golfer won six times prior to July.
Scheffler, who has 12 career wins, and Kim finished at 22-under-par 258, two strokes clear of the field.
Scheffler shot 5-under 65 in the final round, but Kim’s 66 with a 10-foot birdie putt on the last hole extended the suspense.
“Just to force a playoff I felt like I was really digging deep,” Kim said.
Scheffler had birdies on Nos. 13-15 before three pars. Kim didn’t flinch.
“I played really good this week,” Kim said. “Unfortunately, two bogeys that I had this week came from two three-putts.”
Tom Hoge (62) and South Korea’s Sungjae Im (66) shared third place at 20 under.
As many as a dozen golfers made the turn with a reasonable chance at winning the tournament. There were several golfers within three shots of the lead for stretches of the day, while four golfers were tied at one point on the backside.
Tee times were pushed up more than two hours after weather-related interruptions Friday and Saturday, so golfers played in threesomes.
Hoge, who tied his career low and was a co-leader when completing his round, made six birdies and one bogey on an eventful back nine. Im was even for the day through 12 holes before four birdies across the final six holes.
Akshay Bhatia, who joined Scheffler and Kim in the final group, shot 69 for a fifth-place tie at 18 under. Tony Finau (66), Patrick Cantlay (65) and Justin Thomas (66) also finished at 18 under. Finau had taken the lead before his tee shot on the par-3 16th splashed into the water and he took a 5 on the hole.
Cameron Young, who shot 59 on Saturday, was off to a brilliant start with birdies on the first four holes in the final round and it looked like he might rise to the top. But he began the back side at 2 over through three holes, with a bogey on No. 10 and a double bogey at No. 12, before ending up with 66.
Young tied for ninth at 17 under with Shane Lowry of Ireland (67), Brian Harman (62) and Wyndham Clark (63).
Austria’s Sepp Straka had the day’s best score at 61, putting him at 12 under and tied for 23rd.