Scottie Scheffler, the highest golfer on the planet, was arrested and charged with felony assault on a police officer and reckless driving after a chaotic incident simply exterior of the PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, early Friday morning.
Scheffler was launched with out bail inside hours and returned to make his tee time for the second spherical of the event on the Valhalla Golf Membership. He shot a 66, 5 underneath par, transferring up the leaderboard right into a tie for fourth place after starting the day tied for twelfth.
The 27-year-old golfer was detained after he drove on a median towards the doorway to the membership and initially did not heed an officer’s order to cease, in accordance with an ESPN reporter who witnessed the incident.
Site visitors exterior the doorway on the time was being rerouted after a person was hit and killed by a shuttle bus earlier that day.
A Louisville Metro Police Division report alleged that round 6:16 a.m. ET, Scheffler swerved into opposing site visitors lanes to keep away from backed-up site visitors and acquire entry to the golf course.
A Louisville Police detective, in uniform and sporting a high-visibility rain jacket, stopped Scheffler and tried to offer him directions, however the golfer “refused to conform and accelerated ahead, dragging [the officer] to the bottom,” the report mentioned.
The detective, Bryan Gillis “suffered ache, swelling, and abrasions to his left wrist and knee” and was taken to a hospital, in accordance with the report, which was obtained by NBC affiliate WAVE3 in Louisville.
“Detective Gillis’ uniform pants, valued at roughly $80 had been broken past restore,” the report famous.
Scheffler, who received his second Masters event final month, in a press release launched shortly earlier than his scheduled tee time Friday morning mentioned the incident was the results of a “massive misunderstanding.”
Mugshot of PGA Golfer Scott Alexander Scheffler, who was arrested on fees of assaulting a police officer after making an attempt to enter the PGA Championship venue, on Could 17, 2024.
Supply: Louisville Metro Police Division
“This morning, I used to be continuing as directed by law enforcement officials. It was a really chaotic state of affairs, understandably so contemplating the tragic accident that had occurred earlier,” Scheffler mentioned in a put up on his official Instagram account.
“There was a giant misunderstanding of what I believed I used to be being requested to do,” he mentioned. “I by no means meant to ignore any of the directions. I am hopeful to place this to the aspect and give attention to golf at present.”
The Louisville Metropolitan Division of Corrections web site confirmed that Scheffler was booked at 7:28 a.m. ET.
The reserving info initially confirmed fees of second-degree assault on a police officer — a felony — in addition to third-degree misdemeanor legal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding indicators from an officer directing site visitors.
Scheffler was launched from the Louisville facility with out bail shortly earlier than 9 a.m. ET, in accordance with WAVE3.
Scottie Scheffler arrives to the course in the course of the second spherical of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Membership in Louisville, Kentucky, on Could 17, 2024.
Ben Jared | PGA Tour | Getty Photos
“We’ll simply let all of it play out, that is the extent of what we all know. It is transferring fairly quick at the moment, however we’ll litigate the case because it comes,” Scheffler’s lawyer, Steve Romines, advised reporters after the golfer’s launch.
In a press release to CNBC, Romines mentioned Scheffler was driving to the golf course to begin his preround preparations and “continuing as directed by one other site visitors officer.”
“As a result of mixture of occasion site visitors and a site visitors fatality within the space, it was a really chaotic state of affairs,” Romines mentioned.
“Within the confusion, Scottie is alleged to have disregarded a unique officer’s site visitors indicators leading to these fees,” the legal professional mentioned, including, “a number of eyewitnesses have confirmed that he didn’t do something fallacious however was merely continuing as directed.”
“He stopped instantly upon being directed to and by no means at any level assaulted any officer along with his automobile,” in accordance with Romines.”
Scottie Scheffler of the U.S. and his caddie, Ted Scott, stroll to the driving vary in the course of the second spherical of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Membership in Louisville, Kentucky, on Could 17, 2024.
Ross Kinnaird | Getty Photos
Scheffler, who has received 4 of the final 5 tournaments he began, teed off simply after 10:08 a.m. ET from the tenth gap for the second day of the championship. He arrived at Valhalla Golf Membership round 9:10 a.m. ET, giving him lower than an hour to organize.
The PGA Tour and PGA of America referred CNBC to Scheffler’s assertion when requested for touch upon his arrest.
ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington mentioned Friday morning that he noticed Scheffler “detained by law enforcement officials, positioned behind a police automobile in handcuffs after he tried to drag round what he believed to be safety.”
Scottie Scheffler tees off No. 10 to start his second spherical of the PGA Championship, Could 17, 2024, at Valhalla Golf Membership in Louisville, Kentucky.
Matthew Maxey | Icon Sportswire | Getty Photos
“When he did not cease, the police officer connected himself to the automobile. Scheffler then traveled one other 10 yards earlier than stopping the automotive,” Darlington mentioned on ESPN’s “SportsCenter.”
“The police officer then grabbed at his arm, making an attempt to drag him out of the automotive, earlier than Scheffler finally opened the door at which level the police officer pulled Scheffler out of the automotive, pushed him up towards the automotive and instantly positioned him in handcuffs,” Darlington mentioned.
