Golf star Scottie Scheffler arrested before start of PGA Championship 2nd round: Report

Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 golfer in the world, was arrested Friday morning for allegedly driving past a police roadblock at Valhalla Golf Club, according to ESPN.

The arrest came about an hour after a fatal accident occurred near the golf course. At about 5 a.m., a man was fatally struck by a shuttle bus while trying to cross the road near the course where the PGA Championship is being held, according to a statement from the Louisville Metro Police Department.

Roadblocks and confusion over the incident allegedly led Scheffler to overtake police who were on the scene, according to reports from ESPN.

“This morning, I was acting as directed by police officers,” Scheffler said in a statement on social media. “It was a very chaotic situation, which is understandable, given the tragic incident that occurred earlier, and there was a huge misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do. I never intended to ignore any of the instructions. I hope to put this aside and focus On golf today.”

Schaeffler was released from jail after processing at approximately 8:40 a.m. local time, and returned to the course about an hour before the 10:08 a.m. tee time. He ended up shooting a 6-under 66 and moved into the top five by the time he finished his round despite the rainy conditions.

“A police officer tried to stick to Schaeffler’s car, and then Schaeffler stopped his car at the entrance to Valhalla,” according to ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington, who witnessed the altercation right in front of him. “The police officer then began yelling at Schaeffler to get out of the car. When Schaeffler got out of the car, the officer pushed Schaeffler against the car and immediately handcuffed him. He is now being detained in the back of the police car.”

Scheffler refused to comply with the police officer’s request to stop and “hurried forward” and pulled the detective to the ground, according to the police report. The officer was taken to hospital after suffering “pain, swelling and abrasions to his left wrist and knee.” The detective’s uniform pants, “worth approximately $80, were damaged beyond repair,” the report states.

Scheffler now faces charges of second-degree assault on a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and ignoring traffic signals from an officer directing traffic, according to a police report.

The Jefferson County Prosecutor’s Office “is still obtaining information” in Scheffler’s case and “will review it and move forward accordingly,” Jefferson County Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Josh Abner said in a statement Friday afternoon.

Scheffler is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday morning.

“I feel like my head is still spinning,” Schaeffler said in a press conference after his tour. “I can’t really explain what happened this morning. I spent some time lying in a prison cell. That was a first for me. You know, it was part of the warm-up. I was sitting there waiting, and I started during the warm-up. I felt like there was an opportunity. Because I can get out here and play so I started doing my routine, trying to get my heart rate down as much as I can today.

“Our primary concern today remains with the family of John Mills, who lost his life in a tragic accident early this morning while on his way to work,” the PGA of America said in a statement. Regarding the accident involving Scottie Scheffler, “we are cooperating closely.” “Full While local authorities review what happened during the course of the legal process, questions should be directed to Schaeffler’s attorneys or local authorities.”

Louisville police said the start of the second round of the PGA Championship was delayed as a result of the accident. Schaeffler was originally scheduled to make the start at 8:50 a.m., but was postponed until 10:08 a.m. after the fatal accident.

The LMPD Traffic Unit is investigating and no other injuries were reported in the previous incident.

Schaeffler, 27, has won four tournaments on Tour this year, including a dominant performance at The Masters in April — his second Masters win and second major as well. He also won back-to-back marquee events in March at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship.

He shot a 4-under 67 in the first round of the PGA Championship this week — his second major championship of the year — and was five shots behind leader Xander Schauffele.

Scheffler has career earnings of $61 million on the PGA Tour alone, 10th all-time. Depending on the tour.