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World number one Scottie Scheffler tees off at the PGA Championship after being arrested and charged with a crime over an incident outside Valhalla

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World number one Scottie Scheffler was arrested early Friday morning after an incident with a police officer outside Valhalla Golf Club, the venue for the PGA Championship. Scheffler was not involved in another traffic accident outside Valhalla in which a pedestrian was killed.

Scheffler was charged with second-degree assault on a police officer, third-degree criminal damage, reckless driving and failure to obey traffic signals. The charges include two misdemeanors, one misdemeanor and one felony (second-degree assault on a police officer).

(Louisville Metro Police Department)(Louisville Metro Police Department)

(Louisville Metro Police Department)

Scheffler was released from custody at 8:40 a.m. ET. He arrived back at Valhalla at 9:12 a.m. ET and went to the practice area before teeing off around 10:10 a.m. ET. Scheffler shot a 5-under 66 on Friday, dropping him to 9 under par this week and keeping him very much in contention. He is due back in court next Tuesday morning to face arraignment.

Scheffler posted the following in his Instagram story:

“This morning I followed the police instructions. It was a very chaotic situation, which is understandable given the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and there was a lot of misunderstanding about what I was supposed to do. I never intended to disobey any instructions. I hope to put that aside and concentrate on golf today.

“Of course, all of us involved in the tournament would like to express our deepest condolences to the family of the man who died in the accident this morning. It really puts everything into perspective.”

The incident was first reported by Jeff Darlington of ESPN.

“Breaking News: World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler was detained in handcuffs by police after attempting to drive past an officer into Valhalla Golf Club due to a traffic violation,” Darlington wrote on X. “The officer attempted to grab hold of Scheffler’s car, causing Scheffler to stop his vehicle at the entrance to Valhalla. The 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 handcuffed him. He is now being detained in the back seat of a police car.”

Darlington stated that after being asked to stop, Scheffler continued driving for about “10 to 20 yards.” Darlington reported that Scheffler tried to explain that he did not know that the man who had asked him to stop was a police officer. Darlington said that Scheffler did not raise his voice during the altercation.

According to Darlington, the situation quickly escalated and Scheffler was loaded into a police vehicle. Darlington reported that an officer told him, “There’s nothing you can do, he’s going to jail.” Darlington later reported that an officer asked him to identify Scheffler.

Darlington reported the incident on SportsCenter shortly before 7 a.m.

Darlington later released a video of the incident:

According to a police report on the incident, an officer was “dragged” to the ground by Scheffler’s car and taken to the hospital after “suffering pain, swelling and abrasions to his left wrist and knee.”

Steve Romines, an attorney representing Scheffler, told reporters that Scheffler pulled out his press pass and entered the golf course as players were instructed to do.

“Apparently there had been a traffic accident or maybe even a fatality further down the road that had changed the traffic patterns and he was not aware of it,” Romines said. “I think the officer directing traffic may not have been part of the traffic command and that’s why the miscommunication occurred and that’s why we’re here.”

“There are eyewitnesses that he did nothing wrong,” Romines told WDRB.

Scheffler was later cautioned at 7:28 a.m.

The start of the second round of the PGA Championship was delayed by 80 minutes due to the fatal accident outside the Valhalla Golf Club. According to the PGA, a pedestrian working for a dealer was struck and killed by a shuttle bus. Traffic around Valhalla was at a standstill in the rainy morning hours. Players were allowed onto the course to prepare for the tournament.

“Our greatest concern today is for the family of John Mills, who died in a tragic accident on his way to work early this morning,” the PGA of America said in a statement Friday afternoon. “As for the incident involving Scottie Scheffler, we are cooperating fully as local authorities investigate the incident. While the legal process is ongoing, questions should be directed to Scheffler’s attorney or local authorities.”

Scheffler returned to Valhalla shortly after his release and teed off after the tournament began with a nearly 90-minute delay on Friday. Scheffler then made a birdie on his first hole, giving him a tournament score of 5 under par. He was two strokes behind the leader when he entered the clubhouse.

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