LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The world’s No. 1 ranked golfer was arrested outside the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., ahead of the second round of the PGA Championship on Friday, according to reports.
“Scottie Scheffler looked somber while wearing an orange jail shirt in a mugshot photo after the world’s No. 1 golfer” was taken into custody, the New York Post reported.
Scheffler, 27, was booked and processed at 7:28 a.m. into metro corrections on four charges — second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from officer directing traffic, according to ESPN.
Traffic outside the golf course had been stopped after a man was struck and killed by a shuttle bus around 5 a.m. ET.
Just a full-on disaster for the PGA of America. A horrific accident that killed a pedestrian and the world no. 1, who is an angel of a human and a new father, in fucking jail for trying to get to the golf course. pic.twitter.com/bIRx5xE009
— Dan Rapaport (@Daniel_Rapaport) May 17, 2024
Scheffler was arrested “after refusing to stop at a traffic barricade trying to get into Valhalla. That traffic barricade was set up after a pedestrian was hit and killed by a shuttle bus,” a reporter for WDRB, a local Louisville outlet, wrote on social media.
BREAKING:
Pro-golfer Scottie Scheffler was booked into metro corrections after refusing to stop at a traffic barricade trying to get into Valhalla.
That traffic barricade was set up after a pedestrian was hit and killed by a shuttle bus. @WDRBNews pic.twitter.com/IIYdqI77B3— Amanda Roberts (@ARobertsNews) May 17, 2024
“The officer who asked Scottie Scheffler to stop at a police barricade has minor injuries after Scheffler refused to stop and dragged the officer with his car,” the reporter added in a follow-up post. “The barricade was set up after a pedestrian was hit and killed outside of Valhalla golf course at 5am.”
🚨 Update: 🚨
The officer who asked Scottie Scheffler to stop at a police barricade has minor injuries after Scheffler refused to stop and dragged the officer with his car.
The barricade was set up after a pedestrian was hit and killed outside of Valhalla golf course at 5am.
— Amanda Roberts (@ARobertsNews) May 17, 2024
Scheffler, a two-time Masters champion, was pulling into the course about 5:45 a.m. when a police officer tried to get him to stop and started banging on the side of his car.
The ordeal was witnessed by ESPN’s Jeff Darlington. He said Friday morning on “SportsCenter” that the scene involving Scheffler and the police unfolded “very quickly, very rapidly and very aggressively.”
Here is video that I took of Scheffler being arrested: https://t.co/8UPZKvPCCf pic.twitter.com/9Tbp2tyrJh
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) May 17, 2024
“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 then pulled Scheffler out of the car, pushed him up against the car and immediately placed him in handcuffs,” said Darlington, who also filmed the encounter.
“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.”
On Thursday, Scheffler opened the PGA Championship with a 4-under 67. He was originally scheduled to begin playing round two of the tournament Friday at about 8:48 a.m.
However, play was delayed for more than an hour due to the accident and traffic, The Post reported.
Upon his release without bail, Scheffler returned to Valhalla at about 9:13 a.m. and expected to tee off later in the morning.
“This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers,” Scheffler said in a statement, according to ESPN. “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. 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.”
The arresting officer was identified as Det. Gillis. He was dragged “to the ground” and suffered “pain, swelling, and abrasions to his left wrist” after the car “accelerated forward,” according to the arrest report.
The officer was dressed in a high visibility reflective jacket when he stopped Scheffler’s car to give instructions, the arrest sheet said. Gillis was taken to the hospital to receive treatment for his injuries.
Steven Romines, an attorney representing Scheffler, told ESPN that the golfer attempted to enter Valhalla Golf Club as he had been instructed to earlier, unaware there had been a fatal crash up the road.
“He was going into Valhalla to work out,” Romines said. “He was getting ready for his tee time. They were directing traffic. He held his credential out and was going in like they’d been instructed to. Apparently, there had been a traffic accident, maybe even a fatality, down the road, and that had changed the traffic patterns, and he was unaware of that.”
Romines said Scheffler would cooperate fully with police, and “we’ll deal with it as it progresses.”
“This morning we were devastated to learn that a worker with one of our vendors was tragically struck and killed by a shuttle bus outside Valhalla Golf Club,” the PGA of America said in a statement. “This is heartbreaking to all of us involved with the PGA Championship. We extend our sincere condolences to their family and loved ones.”
The unidentified man was attempting to cross Shelbyville Road when he was struck in a dedicated lane for buses. According to police, the man died at the scene.
