LOUISVILLE, Ky. – World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler was arrested and booked into a Louisville jail Friday morning after an incident near the entrance of Valhalla Golf Club, the site of this week’s 2024 PGA Championship.
Scheffler, 27, was arrested and booked shortly before 7:30 a.m., according to online records published by the Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections. He is being charged with second degree assault on a police officer, which is a felony, as well as criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic.
Scheffler said in a statement released via social media that he was attempting to enter the golf course ahead of his scheduled tee time and was proceeding at the direction of police officers, some of whom were on scene to respond to a fatal traffic collision in the area earlier that morning. He called the arrest “a big misunderstanding.”
“It was a very chaotic situation, understandably so considering the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and there was a big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do,” he wrote in the statement. “I never intended to disregard any of the instructions. I’m hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today.
“Of course, all of us involved in the tournament express our deepest sympathies to the family of the man who passed away in the earlier accident this morning. It truly puts everything in perspective.”
Scheffler was released from jail and arrived at Valhalla a little after 9 a.m., roughly an hour before his scheduled tee time of 10:08 a.m. Tee times were delayed by almost 90 minutes Friday due to the traffic accident.
Louisville police did not immediately reply to messages from USA TODAY Sports seeking comment and more information on the circumstances surrounding Scheffler’s arrest. It is immediately unclear when he is next scheduled to appear in court.
Louisville-based attorney Steve Romines confirmed Scheffler’s charges to local reporters in a brief interview Friday and said “we’ll litigate the case as it comes.”
“Apparently there had been a traffic accident, or maybe even a fatality down the road, and that had changed the traffic patterns, and he was unaware of that,” Romines said, according to video posted by WLKY-TV. “And, I think the officer that was directing traffic was maybe not part of the event traffic detail and so that’s where the miscommunication arose and that’s why we’re here.”
The arrest came as a shock to the world of golf, where Scheffler has become known as not only one of the top ball-strikers on the PGA Tour but also one of its most affable characters. He has won 10 PGA Tour events and two majors, including the most recent edition of the Master’s earlier this spring. A recent article on Golf.com dubbed him “golf’s best player (and) maybe its most charming, too.”
ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington first broke the news of Scheffler’s arrest after witnessing it take place outside of Valhalla on Friday morning. He wrote on social media that “a misunderstanding with traffic flow led to (Scheffler’s) attempt to drive past a police officer” toward the golf course.
Darlington posted a video clip on social media of Scheffler being escorted by police while in handcuffs ahead of the second round of play, and described the events as he witnessed them on social media and on ESPN. The video shows police detaining Scheffler and an officer telling Darlington that the golfer is going to jail.
Darlington added that Scheffler, while in handcuffs, looked toward to the reporter and said: “Please help me.”
“They told him to stop,” Darlington said in an appearance on ESPN. “When he didn’t stop, the police officer attached himself to the vehicle. Scheffler then traveled another 10 yards before stopping the car. The police officer then grabbed at his arm attempting to pull him out of the car before Scheffler eventually opened the door, at which point the police officer pulled Scheffler out of the car, pushed him up against the car and immediately placed him in handcuffs.”
Scheffler shot a 4-under-par 67 in Thursday’s opening round and is tied for 12th entering Friday.
Contributing: Scooby Axson
Source Agencies
