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Billy Horschel helps remove protesters from 17th hole at The Open

profilephotocropby:Suzanne Halliburton•07/21/23•

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billy horschel
Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

Billy Horschel added to his duties as he played Friday’s second round of The Open. Sure, he played golf. But he also worked security when several protesters interrupted play.

Horschel was standing just off the green on the 17th hole when a hushed crowd started booing. That’s because there were three protesters representing the group “Just Stop Oil” were disrupting play. The protesters threw orange paint and confetti onto the green. Another set off a flare. It was all very improper behavior, especially on a golf course like the Royal Liverpool.

Horschel walked over to the protesters and escorted one of them to a waiting policeman. You can see the end of the encounter in the video posted by the account Fore Play.

Here’s another photo that offers another vivid glimpse of what happened. Just Stop Oil also posted a video clip, but it only shows Horschel walking away from the green towards a disturbance.

The Just Stop Oil group has decided to protest major sporting events in England to publicize their cause. The group targeted two matches at Wimbledon earlier this month. They’ve also disrupted matches at the rugby Premiership final and the World Snooker Championship. Before Wimbledon, their most recent protest was at the Ashes Test, a cricket match between England and Australia. According to the BBC, Just Stop Oil wants the British government to stop all new oil gas and coal projects.

Billy Horschel calmly made par on the 17th after his security stint. He bogeyed the final hole to give him a score of 75. That’s four over par. He’s plus six for the tournament. The projected cut is plus three, so Horschel probably played his final round at The Open.