Golfer Scottie Scheffler teed off on Friday, May 17, during the second round of the PGA Championship at the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. He released a statement before hitting the green.
“This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers. 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 said in a statement via PGA. “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.”
Us Weekly confirmed that Scheffler had been arrested by Louisville Metro Police several hours earlier on Friday after he arrived at Valhalla for the golf tournament. The pro athlete was booked at 7:28 a.m. following an alleged incident with law enforcement in the parking lot.
Scheffler was charged with second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding traffic signals, according to local outlet WAVE 3.
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Scheffler was allegedly stopped by a police officer when he drove onto the premises, according to ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington, who witnessed the exchange. The cop reportedly told Scheffler to stop driving on the path, which had been blocked after a car accident.
A pedestrian was struck and killed by a shuttle bus at 5 a.m. outside Valhalla. As a result, LMPD redirected all traffic and the PGA pushed back the start of the tournament by one hour.
According to ESPN, Scheffler continued driving in the lot despite the police officer’s warning.
“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 then pulled Scheffler out of the car, pushed him up against the car and immediately placed him in handcuffs,” Darlington claimed in his report. “Scheffler was then walked over to the police car, placed in the back in handcuffs. Very stunned about what was happening. Looked toward me as he was in those handcuffs and said, ‘Please help me.’ He very clearly did not know what was happening in the situation — it moved very quickly, very rapidly, very aggressively.”
After the arresting officer took Scheffler to the station where he was booked, the athlete was ultimately released.
Scheffler is currently ranked as the No. 3 golfer in the PGA, finishing the first round of the tournament four strokes under par on Thursday, May 16. The championship runs through Sunday, May 19, with a $20 million prize on the line. The grand winner will earn the biggest share.
Scheffler, for his part, recently won the Masters for a second time in April. Shortly after his victory, Scottie’s wife, Meredith Scheffler, gave birth to son Bennett.
