During the final round of the AIG Women’s Open, Charley Hull dealt with protestors and their insensitive tactics.
Charley Hull was in contention on Sunday to take home the AIG Women’s Open title. However, the round was halted with two holes to play because protestors invaded the green with brightly colored smoke flares.
Red and yellow dust filled the air, causing a massive scene.
Hull had just hit her pitch shot on the par-3 when the two protestors from Extinction Rebellion came onto the green, who claimed responsibility for the outburst, per the Telegraph.
“What a bunch of idiots,” Hull said. “I suffer from asthma, but I didn’t have my inhaler on me, and that stuff was really thick, so no, it was not nice. I wasn’t scared when it happened, just thought they were idiots. Someone said they are protesting about oil, but how did they get here today? Drove probably.”
Her response likely speaks to the hypocrisy from those involved.
The police quickly escorted the duo off the green, but that didn’t stop the smoke from entering Hull’s lungs.
This incident isn’t the first protest to happen at a golf tournament. There was one at the Open Championship at Royal Hoylake last month. Just Stop Oil caused a similar outburst but barely held up play.
Hull would eventually lose to Lilia Vu, who pulled away on Sunday. The Englishwoman finished second in front of her home crowd, but Vu was too strong on Sunday. She claimed her second major championship of the season and won by six strokes.
The runner-up finish at a major is the 24-year-olds second on the season. She also finished second at the U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach.
