Scottie Scheffler Returned for Round 2 at Valhalla Golf Club after Arrest Today
Scottie Scheffler returned to Valhalla Golf Club this morning, hours after he was arrested while on his way to the PGA Championship and taken to jail.
Traffic was backed up for about a mile in both directions on the road that leads to the course, due to a fatal accident involving a pedestrian and a tournament shuttle bus just after 5 am. The pedestrian was reportedly an employee of one of the PGA of America vendors.
The pedestrian accident happened in a lane dedicated to tournament traffic.
The two-time Masters champion reportedly drove past a police officer in his tournament vehicle, clearly marked that it was a PGA Championship vehicle.
ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington, who witnessed the incident, said an officer screamed at Scheffler to stop, then grabbed onto his car. Scheffler stopped about 10 yards later, according to Darlington.
He said Scheffler was pulled out of the car, pushed up against the vehicle and immediately placed in handcuffs.
“Scheffler was then walked over to the police car, placed in the back, in handcuffs, very stunned about what was happening, looked toward me as he was in those handcuffs and said, “Please help me,” Darlington said. “He very clearly did not know what was happening in the situation. It moved very quickly, very rapidly, very aggressively.”
Charges Against Scheffler
- Second-degree assault of a police officer
- Third-degree criminal mischief
- Reckless driving
- Not following police directions
Scheffler was booked at 7:28 am and was released on his own recognizance. He arrived back at Valhalla at 9:12 am. Due to a rain delay, Scheffler made his 10:08 am tee time for the second round.
Scheffler Released a Statement After His Arrest:
“This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers. It was a very chaotic situation, understandably so considering the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and there was a big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do. I never intended to disregard any of the instructions. I’m hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today. Of course, all of us involved in the tournament express our deepest sympathies to the family of the man who passed away in the earlier accident this morning. It truly puts everything in perspective,” said Scheffler.
Scheffler’s attorney, Steve Romines, told the Associated Press the arrest was “a big misunderstanding.” He added, “We will litigate the case as it goes. The main thing is he was proceeding exactly as he was directed in a marked vehicle with credentials. He didn’t do anything intentionally wrong,” said Romines.
Scheffler just won his second green jacket at The Masters in mid April this year, his second win there in three years. He and his wife, Meredith, also just welcomed the birth of their first child, Bennett, two weeks ago.
