PGA Tour star tackled by security guard showed true colours with statement
Canadian ace Adam Hadwin had the perfect reaction to protestors interrupting the action at last year's Travelers Championship. And anyone seeking guidance on how to handle such disruptions should look to him, especially if more trouble arises during Sunday's final round at TPC River Highlands.
The 2024 Travelers Championship was disrupted when activists from Extinction Rebellion stormed the 18th green just as the tournament was reaching its climax. The protestors showered the green with what seemed to be a chalk-like substance, all while sporting t-shirts emblazoned with the message, 'No golf on a dead planet'.
This incident occurred just as Scottie Scheffler and Tom Kim were gearing up to conclude the competition in a nail-biting play-off. And it was Scheffler, 28, who kept his cool to clinch the title by the narrowest of margins.
Hadwin, 37, finished joint-27th after shooting 11 under par in Cromwell, Connecticut. But he observed the unfolding drama from a distance and couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu.
The one-time PGA Tour -winner took to social media and recalled his own viral moment from the previous year. And he was certain he did a better job of taking an unexpected knock from security.
Hadwin, who triumphed at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in 2023, was on home soil in Toronto when he was tackled by a guard in the closing moments of the 2023 Canadian Open. That's after he had rushed the 18th to congratulate countryman Nick Taylor, who had just become the first Canadian in nearly 70 years to win the title.
Intent on drenching his pal in champagne, he instead ended up on the floor as his friend watched on in horror. While going in for the celebration, Hadwin found himself unceremoniously floored, but his response was about as relaxed as one could hope for.
"The moment itself and what Nick accomplished was amazing," he told reporters after the tournament. "I definitely did not want to be a part of what transpired after that, but it has been a lot of fun reading through and seeing what people had to say."
The PGA Tour player admitted his recollection of being tackled was hazy because he "blacked out." Yet he held no grudge against the security guard for the mix-up.
"At the time there was so much adrenaline running through, I don't think I would feel anything. I'm glad everything worked out. We can have a good laugh about it now. Just a big misunderstanding."
Hadwin later took a light-hearted jab at a video circulating online of the protestors interrupting the Travelers Championship. He managed to keep hold of the champagne bottle in his hand during the tangle with security, contrasting it with the less coordinated efforts of the activists in question
"I'd like to point out that when I was tackled, I held onto the bottle," he wrote on X. "Unlike this guy."
In a display typical of someone who doesn't sweat the small stuff, Hadwin brushed off the debacle while also slyly ensuring not a drop of bubbly went to waste. And in the process, he proved he could keep a firm grip on what mattered amid unexpected pressure.
If he can't find a reason to celebrate his own victory on Sunday, he'll be rooting for another Canadian to take the spotlight. However, it might take quite an effort to keep the on-fire Scheffler from clinching the title yet again.
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