Eco-clowns are foiled by ANOTHER sportsman: Golfer Billy Horschel drags Just Stop Oil protestor off the green at Hoylake after they try to stop play at The Open

Eco-protesters met their match today when they tried to disrupt the Open 2023 – only to be confronted by atop  golf star.

Billy Horschel, a seven-time PGA Tour winner, was spotted challenging one of the activists at the Royal Liverpool Gold Club in Hoylake, Cheshire.

Thre trio of eco-zealots had attempted to ruin the game on the 17th green with a smoke flare and orange powder paint.

But their antics were brough to a grinding halt by Horschel as well as his teammates Corey Conners and Alex Noren.

After stopping one of the protesters in his tracks, Horschel led them to on-running security.

Just Stop Oil disrupted proceedings during play at The Open Championships with an orange flare on Friday afternoon

The US golfer was met with applause and whooping from fans for his decisive response to the saboteurs.

Officers from Cheshire Police were later seen escorting several white-shirted activists from from the gold course just after noon.

Just Stop Oil activists had already launched protests at the World Snooker Championship, Wimbledon and the Ashes this summer, with England cricket star Johnny Bairstow even forced to remove one individual from the field himself at Lord’s.

And now protestors have struck again at The Open, which got underway at Royal Liverpool 24 hours beforehand on Thursday.

Members of the group stormed onto the course to release an orange flare during the 17th hole at Hoylake, before security quickly intervened to stop them.

After the activists were detained by police, event organisers quickly gathered with leaf blowers to clear the mess that had been made on the course. 

Security at the event swiftly dealt with the environmental activists in-front of a crowd 

Organisers solved the issue by taking leaf blowers to the course and removing the dust

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Police were pictured on-site dealing with the protestors after they managed to disrupt play

Organisers at Hoylake had been anticipating the environmental group to make a statement

Footage also showed PGA Tour star, Billy Horschel, intervene with the protests and help detain the activisits before continuing with play. 

Horschel was greeted by cheers from the crowd, despite players previously being told not to get involved if Just Stop Oil were to act on the day. 

US Masters champion Jon Rahm issued a firm warning to Just Stop Oil protestors ahead of the championship earlier this week.

With organisers at Hoylake on alert over potential disruptions, and even asking players not to get involved themselves, Rahm suggested he would be prepared to take similar action to Bairstow in throwing a protestor off the course himself.

‘I do have a reputation, so I hope they don’t catch me on a bad hole,’ he said.

‘I know they’re going for an impact. I saw a couple of them intervening in Wimbledon, and obviously this looks like it could be a perfect spot. But we have nothing to do with it.

‘You don’t want to disrupt play, which they’re trying, so if it happens where I’m at, I’m obviously going to try to clean up as quickly as possible so we can resume play.’

The crowd took pictures and videos of the incident which occurred during the 17th hole

Just Stop Oil activists have already launched protests at the World Snooker Championship, Wimbledon and the Ashes this summer

R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers revealed that Just Stop Oil had previously tried to target St Andrews last year

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R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers previously insisted there had been no intelligence surrounding any potential protests at The Open, but he remained confident in the ‘significant’ security procedures which were put in place.

Slumbers said the event had been targeted at St Andrews last year – there were rumours of a potential Just Stop Oil intervention – but nothing public materialised after security was increased at specific locations.

‘We have had no direct intelligence,’ Slumbers said on the likelihood of protests at Royal Liverpool.

‘There was direct intelligence last year and most people in this room don’t know The Open was targeted last year.

‘We had a very credible threat which was reported to us that certain players in the field were going to be targeted by environmental activists.

‘We have significant security procedures in place, we work with law enforcement agencies and we will wait and see what happens.

‘We have advised the players please don’t get involved and I stand by that.

‘Beyond that I think security matters I need to keep confidential.’