Scheffler is arrested by police at the PGA Championship for failing to follow instructions after a traffic fatality – KGET 17

DOUG FERGUSON, Associated Press

15 minutes ago

In this still image from video provided by ESPN, Masters champion Scottie Scheffler is escorted by police after being handcuffed early Friday, May 17, 2024, near Valhalla Golf Club, site of the PGA Championship golf tournament was tied up. (ESPN via AP)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Masters champion Scottie Scheffler was arrested by police Friday morning on his way to the PGA Championship. Stunning images showed him handcuffed as he was led to a police car. ESPN reported that he failed to follow police orders during the investigation into a fatal pedestrian accident.

Traffic was backed up in both directions for about a mile on the only road leading to Valhalla Golf Club, and dozens of police vehicles flashed red and blue lights near the entrance.

Police said a pedestrian was struck by a bus while crossing the street on a lane designated for tournament traffic.

ESPN said Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player who was scheduled to start the second round at 8:48 a.m., drove past a police officer in his SUV whose door had markings indicating it was was a PGA championship vehicle. The officer yelled at him to stop and then clung to the car until Scheffler stopped about 10 yards later.

ESPN’s Jeff Darlington observed this. He said police pulled Scheffler out of the car, pushed him against the car and immediately handcuffed him.

“Scheffler was then led to the police car, put in the back seat, handcuffed, very stunned by what was happening, looked at me while he was in those handcuffs and said, ‘Please help me,'” Darlington said . “He clearly didn’t know what was happening in the situation. It moved very quickly, very quickly, very aggressively.”

Louisville Metro Police spokesman Dwight Mitchell told Louisville Radio that the man crossed Shelbyville Road around 5 a.m. and the bus did not see him. Mitchell said the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The PGA Championship released a statement saying play would be delayed due to the accident. The second round was scheduled to begin an hour and 20 minutes later than the scheduled tee times, which meant Scheffler wasn’t scheduled to start until just after 10 a.m

A short time later, it began to rain on Valhalla, and with recent rain shutting down the course twice earlier in the week, play would likely be suspended for even longer.

As cars queued back in the morning darkness, other vehicles with PGA markings tried to drive slowly towards the entrance. Just before 7 a.m., traffic finally began to gradually move

It was a surreal start to an already wild week of weather – the Masters champion and top-ranked player in the world dressed in training gear, his hands tied behind his back, amid flashes of lightning.

Darlington said police were not sure who Scheffler was. He said an officer asked him to leave and when he came forward to the media he was told, “There’s nothing you can do. He’s going to jail.”

Darlington said another officer later approached him with a notepad and asked him if he knew the name of the person they were handcuffing.

Scheffler has four wins in his last five tournaments, including his second Masters title. For the past three weeks he has been at home in Dallas awaiting the birth of his first child, a son who was born May 8.

Scheffler opened with a 4-under 67 and was five shots off the lead as he tries to become just the fifth player since 1960 to win the first two majors of the year.

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AP Golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf