World’s #1 Ranked Golfer Arrested Before PGA Championship

The PGA was thrown into chaos Friday morning with the arrest of golf’s top-ranked star on curious charges.

Scottie Scheffler, a two-time Masters winner and currently the number one ranked player in the world, was arrested in Louisville, Kentucky early in the morning after failing to follow police orders while he was driving into Valhalla Golf Course, according to Fox News. Dramatic video footage of the aftermath began quickly circulating online after its release. A mugshot from Scheffler’s booking was also obtained by media outlets.

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ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington was on the grounds during the encounter between Scheffler and the officer, describing the player’s driving as a “misunderstanding with traffic flow” while investigators were in the area looking into the circumstances of a traffic death that occurred earlier in the day. “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 on ESPN’s “SportsCenter.” “He very clearly did not know what was happening in the situation. It moved very quickly, very rapidly, very aggressively.”

Darlington captured the incident on video which he posted to X. “Right now, he’s going to jail,” one officer at the scene told Darlington. “He’s going to jail and there ain’t nothing you can do about it.”

WATCH:

Here is video that I took of Scheffler being arrested: https://t.co/8UPZKvPCCf pic.twitter.com/9Tbp2tyrJh

— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) May 17, 2024

Sheffler was booked at the Louisville Department of Corrections early Friday morning. He’s been charged with second-degree assault of a police officer (a felony), criminal mischief, reckless driving, and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic.

The PGA Championship had just gotten underway Thursday, not long after Sheffler had secured four of five wins across golf’s major annual tournaments, including his second Masters title. Xander Schauffele led the field with 9-under par while Sheffler was tied for 12th at 4-under.

Scottie Scheffler’s mugshot from Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections. pic.twitter.com/bcJn54Nu5x

— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) May 17, 2024

The New Jersey native’s unpropitious start came shortly after a bystander was struck and killed by a shuttle bus, further overshadowing the celebrations. The PGA Championship is expected to draw 200,000 spectators and produce close to $20 million in economic activity for Louisville, officials told an ABC affiliate.

Scheffler arrived back at Valhalla Golf Course shortly after 9 a.m. Friday to begin his second round, where he was scheduled to tee off alongside Brian Harman and Wyndham Clark at 10:08 a.m., according to the New York Times. He will almost certainly miss that time, and the PGA has not said if it will permit him to continue with play while he waits for an arraignment date.

“Not in a position to confirm his status at the moment,” PGA of America told The Athletic.

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