San Francisco Frontiers - Climate activists disrupt British Open

The Just Stop Oil group said three people were involved in the demonstration at the 17th hole during the second day of the tournament at Hoylake.

British golf's landmark tournament is the latest high-profile sporting event to be targeted by Just Stop Oil in recent weeks following interruptions at Wimbledon and during the second Ashes cricket Test at Lord's.

"At around 12.20 pm three Just Stop Oil supporters ran onto hole 17 at The Open in Royal Liverpool," the group said in a statement.

"They set off a smoke flare and threw orange powder paint on the green before being removed by security."

American golfer Billy Horschel escorted a woman wearing a Just Stop Oil T-shirt covered in orange paint off the green of the links course and handed her over to a police officer.

The woman and a man wearing a similar T-shirt were both handcuffed and marched off the course by several police officers.

Open organisers were prepared for a protest and stressed they had put in extra security precautions.

They had advised players not to engage with anyone who entered the course but Horschel decided against that.

Greenkeeping staff were dispatched to the hole and removed the powdered paint with leaf-blowers.

Just Stop Oil wants the UK government to end all new oil and gas exploration and has promised not to let up in its protests until it does so.

One of the protesters, Noah Crane, 18, said in a statement from the group that he did not want to disrupt the Open but felt he had "no other choice".

"Climate scientists are telling us the development of new oil, gas and coal projects will be beyond disastrous for humanity," he said.

"This is not a situation where we can just sit back and hope someone else sorts it out for us -- the stakes are too high."

New legislation gives police greater powers to stop and search protesters for items such as padlocks and superglue, as well as arrest people suspected of attempting to cause a public nuisance.

D.Robinson--SFF