In a statement Friday morning, Masters champion and No. 1 golfer in the world Scottie Scheffler revealed what happened when he was arrested on his way to the PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky.
In a social media post from the PGA Tour, Scheffler said the situation unfolded while he was trying to navigate traffic following a tragic accident near Valhalla Golf Club.
There, PGA officials confirmed that a fatal accident had occurred when a worker at one of their vendors was struck and killed by a shuttle bus.
“This morning I proceeded as instructed by the police,” Scheffler said. “It was a very chaotic situation, which is understandable given the tragic accident that happened earlier, and there was a big misunderstanding about what I thought I was being asked to do.”
An AP report says traffic was blocked for about a mile in both directions Friday morning on the only road leading to Valhalla Golf Club, with dozens of police cars flashing red and blue lights near the ‘entrance.
ESPN’s Jeff Darlington reported that Scheffler passed a police officer in his SUV, which bore the PGA Championship logo that identified it as a player’s vehicle. The officer allegedly yelled at him to stop, then buckled into the car until Scheffler stopped about 10 meters later.
Darlington reported that police pulled Scheffler from the car, pushed him against the car and immediately handcuffed him.
“Scheffler was then led to the police car, placed in the back, handcuffed, very stunned by what was happening, he looked towards me while he was handcuffed and said, ‘Please Please, help me,’” Darlington said. “He very clearly didn’t know what was going on in the situation. It happened very quickly, very quickly, very aggressively.
Darlington said police didn’t really know who he was. He said a police officer asked him to leave and when he identified himself as media, he was told, “There’s nothing you can do.” He’s going to prison.
Scheffler said in his statement that he “never intended to neglect any of the instructions.”
“I hope I can put this aside and focus on golf today,” he wrote. “Of course, all of us involved in the tournament express our deepest condolences to the family of the man who died in this morning’s accident. It really puts everything into perspective.
Court records show Scheffler was charged with second-degree assault on a police officer, a felony, as well as third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and failure to obey signals from officers directing traffic.
Source: Wave
Scheffler is coming off four victories in his last five tournaments, including his second Masters title. He has been at home in Dallas for the past three weeks, awaiting the birth of his first child, a son born May 8.
Scheffler opened with a 4-under 67 and was five shots out of the lead as he tries to become just the fifth player since 1960 to win the first two majors of the year.
The 2024 PGA Championship, which will be played at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, began Thursday and continues through Sunday. Scheffler, the world number 1, was scheduled to start the second round at 8:48 a.m. He was scheduled to play a little after 10:00.
NBC Chicago
