A group of wedding guests camping at a privately owned property in Boston, Massachusetts were woken by Police and mistaken for protestors ahead of this week's tournament.
The guests left the area shortly after 8am when security at this week's host venue, the International Club, tipped off the authorities. The wedding party was camping in a privately owned wooded area adjacent to where the action will get underway later this week.
Newlyweds Joanna Benoit and Taylor Jacobson told WCVB, "We spent the week before clearing brush and debris and getting it prepped and ready." The duo understood that Police were on high alert after protests at prior events in New Jersey but insisted they could have handled it better: "It just wasn’t how we wanted to start our day off on Sunday," said Ms Benoit.
A representative of The International Club said it "enjoys strong relationships with its neighbours" and that the incident was a "simple misunderstanding," adding that its employees followed the correct procedure when tents were spotted without "knowledge of who was occupying" them."
General Manager Steve Brennen told WCVC, "Officers spoke with the individuals, determining that it was a group of campers from a nearby wedding the prior evening. The group decided to leave voluntarily, without being asked to." He added his sympathy for the disrupted morning by "safety and security is our priority." The Club has reached out to the Benoit family.
The Greg Norman-fronted venture, which is financially backed by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, continues to receive widespread criticism with players accused of sportswashing human rights atrocities within the Kingdom. The advocacy group 9/11 Justice said it felt "deep pain and anger" after former President Donald Trump urged players to "take the money" and hosted an event at his property in Bedminster, New Jersey.
"We simply cannot understand how you could agree to accept money from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's golf league to host their tournament at your golf course, and to do so in the shadows of Ground Zero in New Jersey, which lost over 700 residents during the attacks," the group said in an open letter.
Similar protests are expected in the run up to the event in Boston later this week.
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