Six climate protesters run onto 18th green and spray powder, delaying finish of PGA Tour event

CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) — Six climate protesters stormed the 18th green while the leaders were lining up their putts for the final hole of regulation at the PGA Tour's Travelers Championship on Sunday, spraying smoke and powder and delaying the finish for about five minutes.

The protesters waved smoke bombs that left white and red residue on the putting surface before Scottie Scheffler, Tom Kim and Akshay Bhatia finished their rounds. Some wore white T-shirts with the words “NO GOLF ON A DEAD PLANET” in black lettering on the front.

“I was scared for my life,” Bhatia said. “I didn’t even really know what was happening. ... But thankfully the cops were there and kept us safe, because that’s, you know, that’s just weird stuff.”

The PGA Tour issued a statement thanking the Cromwell Police Department “for their quick and decisive action” and noting that there was no damage to the 18th green that affected either the end of regulation or the playoff hole.

Scheffler, who was arrested during a traffic stop at the PGA Championship, also praised the officers.

“From my point of view, they got it taken care of pretty dang fast, and so we were very grateful for that,” said Scheffler, the world's No. 1 player, who beat Kim on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff for his sixth victory of the year.

“When something like that happens, you don’t really know what’s happening, so it can kind of rattle you a little bit,” Scheffler said. “That can be a stressful situation, and you would hate for the tournament to end on something weird happening because of a situation like that. I felt like Tom and I both tried to calm each other down so we could give it our best shot there on 18.”

Extinction Rebellion, an activist group with a history of disrupting events around the world, claimed responsibility for the protest. In a statement emailed to The Associated Press, the group blamed climate change for an electrical storm that injured two people at a home near the course on Saturday.

“This was of course due to increasingly unpredictable and extreme weather conditions,” the statement said. “Golf, more than other events, is heavily reliant on good weather. Golf fans should therefore understand better than most the need for strong, immediate climate action.”

After the protesters were tackled by police and taken off, Scheffler left a potential 26-foot clincher from the fringe on the right edge of the cup, then tapped in for par. Kim, who trailed by one stroke heading into the final hole, sank a 10-foot birdie putt to tie Scheffler and force the playoff.

Kim said the protest took his mind off the pressure.

“It kind of slowed things down,” he said. “It took the meaning of the putt away for a second. Because for the past 17 and a half holes all you’re thinking about is golf, and suddenly when that happens your mind goes into a complete — like, you’re almost not even playing golf anymore. I thought it was a dream for a second.”

The crowd surrounding the 18th green heckled the protesters by yelling profanities and cheered the police who intervened. After the players putted out in regulation, workers with leaf blowers came out to clean off the remaining powder.

The hole location was moved for the playoff, which was also on No. 18. Scheffler parred the first hole of sudden death to win.

“They left a lot of marks on the greens, which is not right for us players — especially when two guys are trying to win a golf tournament,” Kim said. “But I’m very grateful for the tour and the tour security for handling that really well and making us players feel a lot safer.”

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

Protesters are taken into custody after they ran onto the course on the 18th hole during the final round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament at TPC River Highlands, Sunday, June 23, 2024, in Cromwell, Conn. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Scottie Scheffler hold sup his trophy after winning the Travelers Championship golf tournament at TPC River Highlands, Sunday, June 23, 2024, in Cromwell, Conn. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

A protester is taken into custody after they ran onto the course as Tom Kim, center, of South Korea, watches on the 18th hole during the final round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament at TPC River Highlands, Sunday, June 23, 2024, in Cromwell, Conn. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Protesters are taken into custody after they ran onto the course on the 18th hole during the final round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament at TPC River Highlands, Sunday, June 23, 2024, in Cromwell, Conn. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Golfers Tom Kim, left, of South Korea, Scottie Scheffler, center, and Akshay Bhatia, right, talk to an official after protesters ran onto the 18th green during the final round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament at TPC River Highlands, Sunday, June 23, 2024, in Cromwell, Conn. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Protesters are taken into custody after they ran onto the course on the 18th hole during the final round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament at TPC River Highlands, Sunday, June 23, 2024, in Cromwell, Conn. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Protesters are led away after they ran onto the course as Scottie Scheffler, center, looks on at the 18th hole during the final round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament at TPC River Highlands, Sunday, June 23, 2024, in Cromwell, Conn. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Protesters are taken into custody after they ran onto the course as Akshay Bhatia, left, walks away on the 18th hole during the final round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament at TPC River Highlands, Sunday, June 23, 2024, in Cromwell, Conn. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Protesters are led away after they ran onto the course on at the 18th hole during the final round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament at TPC River Highlands, Sunday, June 23, 2024, in Cromwell, Conn. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Workers clean up the 18th green after protesters ran onto it during the final round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament at TPC River Highlands, Sunday, June 23, 2024, in Cromwell, Conn. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

A protester runs onto the course as Scottie Scheffler, right, watches on the 18th hole during the final round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament at TPC River Highlands, Sunday, June 23, 2024, in Cromwell, Conn. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

A protester is taken into custody after he ran onto the course as Scottie Scheffler, right, walks away on the 18th hole during the final round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament at TPC River Highlands, Sunday, June 23, 2024, in Cromwell, Conn. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Protesters run onto the course as Scottie Scheffler, right, walks away on the 18th hole during the final round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament at TPC River Highlands, Sunday, June 23, 2024, in Cromwell, Conn. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

One of several protesters is led away after they ran onto the course on at the 18th hole as Akshay Bhatia, second from right, and Scottie Scheffler, right, watch during the final round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament at TPC River Highlands, Sunday, June 23, 2024, in Cromwell, Conn. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Valentino paraded high fashion inside public toilets in one of the season’s most provocative backdrops, especially for a house as classical as Valentino — upending traditional notions of luxury.

Yet at time when restrooms remain a cultural and political flashpoint in debates around gender identity, access, and self-presentation, the show’s setting — one the designer described as “proudly political” — also felt like a deliberate challenge.

The set was a meticulous recreation, down to the tiling, soap dispensers, mirrors and endless rows of stalls, all bathed in an unsettling, almost seedy red light.

Partly inspired by David Lynch, the space set the tone for Alessandro Michele’s bold new vision. With a background in costume design, Michele infuses his collections with inspirations from theater and film, crafting narratives as much as he does garments.

It was one of the standout shows in Paris this season, drawing a front row as eclectic as the collection itself. Chappell Roan, Parker Posey, Jared Leto and Barry Keoghan sat amid the crimson glow, their presence adding to the surreal energy of the day.

Michele often selects venues with deep historical or cultural significance — think palaces — so this public toilet setting was a clever subversion, even of his own signature style. The result? A show that explored the boundaries between public and private, intimacy and exposure, and the ever-blurred lines of identity in contemporary fashion.

Models emerged from toilet cubicles, some stopping to inspect their faces in the mirrors, blurring the line between personal and performative. The clothes were pure theatricality: caps, hoods, and dark shades concealing the face, while sheer nude tops exposed breasts and the intimacy of the body, a direct contrast between covering up and revealing.

Michele’s designs are characterized by a kaleidoscopic mix of times and cultures, blending elements from different historical periods to create a unique aesthetic. He considers himself an “art archaeologist,” exploring how adornment and embellishment have evolved over the centuries.

One striking example: intricately embroidered lingerie with an opulent silken bust and stiff Victorian collar, its crotch flap left provocatively undone, as if the model had to rush to the restroom. Baroque motifs and 18th-century ruffles clashed with oversized, washed-out denim jeans, while his signature maximalist mix of leopard print, faux fur, and tweed created a tension—like the most opulent thrift store imaginable.

There were so many styles, they defied description. And that was the point. The overloaded looks were intentional, a singular vision of excess that defines Michele’s aesthetic and cements his legacy as a designer who refuses to conform.

The audience buzzed with excitement. “He’s upending Valentino in the same way Demna did at Balenciaga,” one front-row guest remarked. The applause was loud, the reaction immediate. This wasn’t just a collection, it was a statement, disruptive and irreverent, pulling a classical house into new, unexpected territory.

For Michele, the public toilet was more than a backdrop — it was a space where boundaries dissolve, a setting charged with meaning. He described it as a “counter-place” that blurs distinctions between public and private, intimacy and exposure, transforming the mundane into something profoundly symbolic.

But as Michele put it, it was also a “proudly political” space, one designed to upend convention and provoke thought. Though he never explicitly linked the setting to gender politics, the casting spoke volumes. Androgynous models stood alongside male and female counterparts, all moving fluidly through the space, reinforcing the idea that identity is unfixed, and fashion, like the world it reflects, defies rigid categorization. At a time when restrooms remain at the heart of cultural and political debates on gender identity, access, and self-expression, the show’s setting was impossible to ignore.

With this, Michele made it clear that his vision for Valentino extends far beyond clothing. It is about identity in motion, the interplay of concealment and revelation. And above all, fashion as a stage for storytelling at its most provocative.

A model wears a creation as part of the Valentino Fall/Winter 2025-2026 Womenswear collection presented in Paris, Sunday, March 9, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

Models wear creations as part of the Valentino Fall/Winter 2025-2026 Womenswear collection presented in Paris, Sunday, March 9, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

Models wear creations as part of the Valentino Fall/Winter 2025-2026 Womenswear collection presented in Paris, Sunday, March 9, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

Models wear creations as part of the Valentino Fall/Winter 2025-2026 Womenswear collection presented in Paris, Sunday, March 9, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

A model wears a creation as part of the Valentino Fall/Winter 2025-2026 Womenswear collection presented in Paris, Sunday, March 9, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

A model wears a creation as part of the Valentino Fall/Winter 2025-2026 Womenswear collection presented in Paris, Sunday, March 9, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

A model wears a creation as part of the Valentino Fall/Winter 2025-2026 Womenswear collection presented in Paris, Sunday, March 9, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

A model wears a creation as part of the Valentino Fall/Winter 2025-2026 Womenswear collection presented in Paris, Sunday, March 9, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

A model wears a creation as part of the Valentino Fall/Winter 2025-2026 Womenswear collection presented in Paris, Sunday, March 9, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

A model wears a creation as part of the Valentino Fall/Winter 2025-2026 Womenswear collection presented in Paris, Sunday, March 9, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)