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Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 ranked golfer in the world, was arrested Friday morning and charged with a felony after allegedly attempting to drive near the scene of a fatal accident outside the PGA Championship venue in Louisville, Kentucky.
Scheffler was charged with a felony count of second-degree assault on a police officer, as well as a misdemeanor count of third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and failing a traffic-directing officer, according to court records.
He was then released from prison and returned to Valhalla Golf Course for the second round of the tournament. Shortly after 10 a.m., he hit his first tee shot of the day, received applause from the crowd, and birdied the first hole.
Live updates: Golfer Scottie Scheffler arrested outside PGA Championship
Scheffler called the incident a “misunderstanding.”
“This morning I was acting on instructions from a police officer. It was a very chaotic situation, understandably given the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and I thought I was being wanted. There was a huge misunderstanding,” he said in a statement on Instagram. “I had no intention of ignoring any instructions. Today I want to put that aside and focus on golf.”
The arrest of the world's best golfer, who is known as an “integrity and outstanding” player and who just days ago became a father, has thrown one of golf's major tournaments into turmoil, as ESPN's PGA setcaster Dave Fleming put it. It has changed dramatically into a “championship in turmoil.''
Louisville Department of Corrections
Star golfer Scottie Scheffler was arrested, photographed and charged with four crimes before being released Friday morning before the start of the PGA Championship.
The incident began around 6 a.m. as Scheffler was driving to Valhalla Golf Club for the second round of a tournament, according to ESPN's Jeff Darlington, who witnessed and filmed the arrest.
Louisville Metro Police Department spokesman Dwight Mitchell said a pedestrian was fatally struck by a bus in the early morning hours as he tried to cross the main road leading to the course. As a result, police presence has been increased near the course entrance.
When Scheffler arrived, he attempted to drive around the median at the scene of the accident, according to ESPN, which first reported Scheffler's arrest. “The officer instructed Scheffler to stop, but Scheffler continued to drive approximately 10 to 20 yards toward the entrance,” ESPN reported.
“Scheffler then pulled over at the entrance to Valhalla, where the officer began yelling at Scheffler to get out of the car. When Scheffler got out of the car, the officer forced Scheffler against the car and quickly handcuffed him,” Darlington wrote in a post on X. Scheffler was in a marked player shuttle, Darlington told ESPN.
Police walked with a handcuffed Scheffler and placed him in a police vehicle, according to Darlington's video.
“He's about to go to jail,” a police officer at the scene said in the video.
From Jeff Darlington/ESPN
Scotty Scheffler was handcuffed by police before the PGA Championship.
Lawyer says arrest was a “misunderstanding''
Louisville police plan to release a statement about the arrest Friday after reviewing video of the incident, a senior law enforcement official said. Preliminary information indicates that Scheffler's vehicle collided with the officer as the officer attempted to stop him for detouring. The officer was not seriously injured.
Scheffler's lawyer said the arrest stemmed from a misunderstanding.
“They were directing traffic and he handed over his media credentials and went in as directed,” attorney Steve Romines told CNN affiliate WLKY.
Romines said the golfer was unaware of the previous crash. “I think the police officer who was directing traffic probably wasn't the traffic person for the event. So there was a miscommunication and that's why we're here.”
He declined to comment on why Scheffler was charged with assault, saying the matter would be heard in court. “Scotty will cooperate fully,” Romines said.
The pedestrian who died in the earlier crash was an employee of a PGA vendor, PGA Championship organizers said in a statement.
“This is a heartbreaking incident for all of us involved in the PGA Championship. Our hearts go out to their families and loved ones,” the organization said.
Scheffler said in a statement that the man's death “really puts everything into perspective.”
Golfweek senior writer David Dusek said Scheffler's arrest was in stark contrast to his clean-cut image.
“Scottie Scheffler is one of the cleanest, most correct, outstanding and well-respected players here on the PGA Tour,” Dusek said. “He's known for having a very calm and level-headed demeanor on the golf course, and he maintains that off the golf course as well.”
Scheffler was the overwhelming favorite to win his second major of the season, and was aiming for a consecutive title after winning the Masters last month.
This season, Scheffler has just solidified his status as a powerhouse in men's golf after a stellar 2023 season in which he held the title of PGA Tour Player of the Year. Just one week after scoring a commanding victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, he began a remarkable late-game charge and became the first player to defend The Players Championship.
Since then, the 27-year-old has been on a roll and his win at RBC Heritage, just a week after donning the green jacket for the second time at Augusta, makes it his fourth win in five races.
Scheffler took a break from competitive activities last week to spend time with his wife, Meredith, who gave birth to the couple's first child, Bennett.
“It's a pretty insane feeling to be sitting at home with a girl I went to high school with and a kid, and her green jacket is sitting in the closet,” he said. “And I wanted to be as grateful as possible.”
After Thursday's game at Louisville, Scheffler said he was looking to “fix some mistakes.”
“I missed two putts today that I thought I should have holed, but that's what happens when the greens get a little chewy,” he said. “I felt like there were a few things I could clear up for tomorrow, but overall it was a solid round today.”
Correction: An earlier version of this article misspelled attorney Steve Romines' last name.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
