Scottie Scheffler, the highest golfer on this planet, was arrested and charged with felony assault on a police officer and reckless driving after a chaotic incident simply outdoors 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 beneath par, shifting 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 keeping with an ESPN reporter who witnessed the incident.
Visitors outdoors 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 achieve entry to the golf course.
A Louisville Police detective, in uniform and sporting a high-visibility rain jacket, stopped Scheffler and tried to provide him directions, however the golfer “refused to conform and accelerated ahead, dragging [the officer] to the bottom,” the report stated.
The detective, Bryan Gillis “suffered ache, swelling, and abrasions to his left wrist and knee” and was taken to a hospital, in keeping with the report, which was obtained by NBC affiliate WAVE3 in Louisville.
“Detective Gillis’ uniform pants, valued at roughly $80 have been broken past restore,” the report famous.
Scheffler, who gained his second Masters event final month, in a press release launched shortly earlier than his scheduled tee time Friday morning stated the incident was the results of a “large 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 Might 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 scenario, understandably so contemplating the tragic accident that had occurred earlier,” Scheffler stated in a publish on his official Instagram account.
“There was a giant misunderstanding of what I believed I used to be being requested to do,” he stated. “I by no means meant to ignore any of the directions. I am hopeful to place this to the facet and concentrate on golf at present.”
The Louisville Metropolitan Division of Corrections web site confirmed that Scheffler was booked at 7:28 a.m. ET.
The reserving data initially confirmed fees of second-degree assault on a police officer — a felony — in addition to third-degree misdemeanor felony 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 keeping 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 Might 17, 2024.
Ben Jared | PGA Tour | Getty Pictures
“We’ll simply let all of it play out, that is the extent of what we all know. It is shifting fairly quick presently, however we’ll litigate the case because it comes,” Scheffler’s lawyer, Steve Romines, instructed reporters after the golfer’s launch.
In a press release to CNBC, Romines stated Scheffler was driving to the golf course to start out his preround preparations and “continuing as directed by one other site visitors officer.”
“Because of the mixture of occasion site visitors and a site visitors fatality within the space, it was a really chaotic scenario,” Romines stated.
“Within the confusion, Scottie is alleged to have disregarded a distinct officer’s site visitors indicators leading to these fees,” the lawyer stated, including, “a number of eyewitnesses have confirmed that he didn’t do something mistaken 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 keeping 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 Might 17, 2024.
Ross Kinnaird | Getty Pictures
Scheffler, who has gained 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 stated Friday morning that he noticed Scheffler “detained by law enforcement officials, positioned at the back of a police automobile in handcuffs after he tried to tug round what he believed to be safety.”
Scottie Scheffler tees off No. 10 to start his second spherical of the PGA Championship, Might 17, 2024, at Valhalla Golf Membership in Louisville, Kentucky.
Matthew Maxey | Icon Sportswire | Getty Pictures
“When he did not cease, the police officer hooked up himself to the automobile. Scheffler then traveled one other 10 yards earlier than stopping the automobile,” Darlington stated on ESPN’s “SportsCenter.”
“The police officer then grabbed at his arm, making an attempt to tug him out of the automobile, earlier than Scheffler finally opened the door at which level the police officer pulled Scheffler out of the automobile, pushed him up in opposition to the automobile and instantly positioned him in handcuffs,” Darlington stated.
