Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 golfer in the world, was arrested Friday morning at Valhalla Golf Club for allegedly driving past a police roadblock, according to ESPN.
He was arrested an hour after the horrific accident near the golf course. A man trying to cross the road near the course that hosts the PGA Championship was struck and killed by a shuttle bus around 5 a.m., according to a statement released by the Louisville Metro Police Department.
According to ESPN’s reports, roadblocks and confusion about the crash led Scheffler to run past police at the scene.
“This morning, I was following directions from police officers,” Scheffler said in a statement on social media. “It’s a very confusing situation, understandably given the tragic accident earlier, there was a huge misunderstanding of what I thought I should do. I never want to ignore any instructions. I’m confident. I’ll just have to ignore it and focus on golf today.”
Scheffler was released from jail after processing around 8:40 a.m. local time and returned to the course an hour before his 10:08 a.m. tee time. He shot a 6-under 66 and despite the rainy conditions he moved into the top 5 by the end of his round.
“A police officer attempted to engage Scheffler’s car, and Scheffler then stopped his vehicle at the entrance to Valhalla,” says ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington, who witnessed the altercation in front of him. “The police officer then began yelling at Scheffler to get out of the car. As Scheffler exited the vehicle, the officer pushed Scheffler against the car and immediately placed him in handcuffs. He is now being held in the back of a police car.”
Scheffler refused the police officer’s request, pulled the detective to the ground and “accelerated forward,” according to the police report. The officer was taken to hospital with “pain, swelling and bruising to his left wrist and knee”. The detective’s uniform pants, “worth approximately $80, were damaged beyond repair,” the report said.
Scheffler now faces charges of second-degree assault on a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding a traffic signal for an officer directing traffic, according to a police report.
The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office is “still receiving information” in Scheffler’s case and will “review it and proceed accordingly,” spokesman Josh Abner said in a statement Friday afternoon.
Scheffler is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday morning.
“My head still feels like it’s spinning,” Scheffler said in a press conference after his round. “I can’t really explain what happened this morning. I spent some time in the jail cell. It was my first time. You know, it was part of my warm-up. I just waited there and I started. I felt like I could still come out and play through my warm-up. , so I started to stick to my routine and try to keep my heart rate down as much as I can today.
The PGA of America said in a statement: “Our primary concern is with the family of John Mills, who lost his life in a tragic accident while on his way to work early this morning. While we local officials review what happened in connection with the incident involving Scotty Scheffler, and while the legal process concludes, Inquiries should be directed to Scheffler’s attorney or local authorities.”
Louisville police said the crash delayed the start of the second round of the PGA Championship. Scheffler was originally scheduled for an 8:50 a.m. tee time, but was delayed until 10:08 a.m. after the accident.
The LMPD Traffic Division is investigating and there were no other injuries in the previous incident.
Scheffler, 27, has won four tournaments on tour this year, including a dominant performance at The Masters in April — his second Masters victory and second major. He also won back-to-back marquee events at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship in March.
He shot a 4-under 67 in the first round of this week’s PGA Championship — his second major of the year — and finished five shots back of leader Xander Schauffele.
Scheffler has earned $61 million on the PGA Tour alone, 10th all-time. According to the tour.
