NEW YORK, June 23, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Two people were taken to hospital Saturday after a lightning strike near a home at TPC River Highlands, the course hosting the US PGA Tour Travelers Championship, the local fire department said.

A release from the Cromwell Fire Department said the Connecticut town's police department began receiving emergency calls regarding a lightning strike at a house located near the course's fifth green around 4:26 pm -- about an hour after play was halted because of thunderstorms in the area.

"On arrival, first responders identified a tree struck by lightning and three patients near the strike," the release said, adding that emergency medical services personnel "treated two patients who were transported to area hospitals for further evaluation, and one patient who refused treatment."

Play was suspended at the tournament for nearly three hours on Saturday. Severe weather had halted play for three hours and 14 minutes on Friday.

South Korean Tom Kim had a one-shot lead through 54 holes of the tournament, the last of the PGA Tour's elite signature events this season.