Dom Amore: In a wild Travelers finish, Scottie Scheffler comes out No. 1 once again

CROMWELL — The kind of moment conceived as ideal by the people who run these tournaments was unfolding. A dramatic confrontation on the 18th green, involving the No. 1 player in the world, surrounded by thousands of spectators packed tightly behind the ropes and in the pavilions overlooking it.The national TV cameras were trained on Scottie Scheffler, as he looked at a long putt that could win the Travelers Championship, his friend and, on this day, his rival Tom Kim with an easier putt to potentially force a playoff. This is what this certain Sunday in June in Cromwell is supposed to look like, for those who celebrate, and it was inevitable that national, if not international golf news would be made.Final round at Travelers Championship disrupted by climate protesters on 18th greenThen the moment was marred as five climate protesters broke from the crowd, with colored smoke bombs spraying powder. Security officers pounced, tacking and leading them off the course as the crowd chanted “U.S.A.” Scheffler and Kim calmed down until again looked to their shots.“It was definitely a bit weird,” Scheffler said. “I saw one person out of the corner of my eye, and then I saw about five police officers sprinting around. From my point of view, they got it taken care of pretty dang fast, and so we were very grateful for that. It seemed to go by really quickly to us.”Indeed, law enforcement— the PGA Tour credited Cromwell police— restored order within a few minutes and the focus was back on the golf, back on Scheffler, who prevailed once again. In this murky stretch of golf history, this time clearly and simply belongs to him, this snapshot left for Connecticut.“It was a great finish,” Scheffler said, speaking of the golf. “This golf course produces a lot of those, you know, the exciting stuff coming down the stretch.”The Travelers, even through the decades of attracting golf’s lesser-known players, has always been known for fantastic finishes — this was its 25th playoff since the tournament began in 1952 — including the eight-hole marathon between Harris English and Kramer Hickok in 2021. This time, as the last of the PGA Tour’s eight Signature Events drew nearly all of the top 50 golfers in the world, five came down the stretch tied at 19-under before Scheffler broke ahead with a string of birdies. It was a shootout with low scores, though not quite as low as a year ago, not the kind of tournament that plays to Scheffler’s strengths, and it was fun, even if the inevitable thunderstorms were closing in.Kim, who led most of the tournament, and Scheffler are legit, close friends — they share a birthday, June 21 — and celebrated together with New Haven pizza before the tournament started. They were both locked in heading to 18. When the smoke cleared, leaving stains on the green that didn’t affect their shots, Scheffler, who missed birdie puts by inches on 16 and 17, came up an inch short again on his 26-footer. Kim made his 10-footer to force a playoff, both 22 under.After protesters interrupt final hole, Scottie Scheffler defeats Tom Kim in playoff to win Travelers Championship“It’s fun competing against your friends, but at the same time, it’s difficult, because part of me wants him to miss the putt and part of me wants him to make the putt,” Scheffler said. “and then when I see him make bogey in the playoff hole, it hurts because that’s my friend and that’s not a great feeling. But he should remember that putt he made on 18 because it was pretty special and he’s a great player and a great champion. He’s got a habit of making those putts when it really matters. I think of a guy that young already winning three times out here and being the way that he is in the Presidents Cup. He’s got the right attitude to play out here for a long time and he’s only 22, which is just nuts.”As Scheffler alluded, Kim finally ran afoul on the first playoff hole, finding the bunker on No. 18. Rock-steady Scottie clinched with a 12-foot birdie putt.Scheffler, 27, has won six tournaments this year, the first golfer to win six before July 1 since Arnold Palmer in 1962. Under this new format, Scheffler has faced stacked fields such as this one in seven signature tournaments, and won four of them, plus the Masters for the second time. He has been No.1 in the world for 2 1/2 years, but had never been close at The Travelers. He began this final round close enough to sniff it and we saw the Scheffler the rest of the world has gotten used to seeing.The Travelers’ $3.6 million first prize lifted his 2024 winnings to nearly $28 million. He’s got the Olympics, The Open Championship and the Presidents Cup still to come.“I don’t set long-term goals,” Scheffler said. “I never have. I’ve always been best just when I stay in the present. I have what I would call dreams and aspirations and those will probably never change, but as far as goals for the year, nothing really changes for me. I show up, and it’s most important for me to have the right attitude and try and compete. I feel like the team around me this year has done a great job of getting on me a little bit when my attitude is not where it needs to be.”Dom Amore: Cameron Young rises early, creates some golf history with a 59 at The TravelersThe Travelers raised $3.2 million for local charities, and despite severe storms that halted play for hours on Friday and Saturday, it was finished … nearly …. without a hitch.And when it ended, the No. 1 golfer on the planet took the trophy and left his calling card, cradling his infant son in his arms as he celebrated on the green. Now it’s on to the next thing, with no end to his dominance in sight.“I don’t really define myself by my wins or by my losses,” Scheffler said. “And so I do my best to compete and have the right attitude. I don’t need to feel any sort of validation or anything like that. It’s been a tremendous year and I’m grateful to have some wins, and I’m looking forward to going out and competing and playing in the Open Championship, playing in the Olympics, and then playing the playoffs as well.”

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