Scottie Scheffler Charged with Assaulting Officer

Scottie Scheffler, currently the world's highest-ranked golfer, has been charged with assaulting an officer after being arrested as he made his way to the PGA Championship.

He was detained and handcuffed by police on Friday morning at the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Context

ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington posted on X, formerly Twitter, that police detained Scheffler after he allegedly tried to drive past a police car at the golf club.

Scheffler was on his way to the course to begin his second round.

What We Know

Darlington said that the golfer had misunderstood traffic directions. Police reportedly forced him out of his car, yelled at him, and then shoved him against the police car.

The police booking sheet showed the golfer was charged with second-degree assault, criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding police signals. He was released on bail, but no court date has been set.

Scheffler's mugshot was released, showing him unsmiling and looking towards the camera wearing an orange prison jumpsuit.

He later made his way to the golf course to start his second round."Breaking News: World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler has been detained by police in handcuffs after a misunderstanding with traffic flow led to his attempt to drive past a police officer into Valhalla Golf Club," Darlington wrote on X.

"The police officer attempted to attach himself to Scheffler's car, and Scheffler then stopped his vehicle at the entrance to Valhalla.

"The police officer then began to scream at Scheffler to get out of the car. When Scheffler exited the vehicle, the officer shoved Scheffler against the car and immediately placed him in handcuffs. He is now being detained in the back of a police car."

Another ESPN reporter, Randy Scott, posted that after handcuffing Scheffler, police said the golfer would be taken away to the police station.

In a post on X, Scott claimed the police officer told Darlington, "There's nothing you can do; he's going to jail."

Footage posted to social media showed multiple police cars and Scheffler being hauled into an unmarked car and driven away from the scene.

Newsweek reached out to the Louisville Metro Police and Scheffler's representatives by phone for comment.

Views

Golf fans were outraged at Scheffler's arrest and some joked his detention in jail would give other golfers a chance at winning the tournament.

"Scottie Scheffler getting cuffed before the PGA championship from a misunderstanding is one step away from shooting Derek Jeter in the tunnel before the World Series in The Other Guys," wrote @billyhottakes on X.

"The only way to keep Scottie Scheffler from winning a major championship," @BenScottStevens wrote.

"Here is the video of Scottie Scheffler being arrested at the PGA Championship. Unfathomable. The simulation is off the rails," @Top100Rick posted.

What's Next

Scheffler finished round one of the tournament in 17th place after carding a four-under-par 67 on Thursday.

His compatriot, Xander Schauffele, finished top of the leaderboard after the first day and also made history. Schauffele hit a nine-under 62, which is the lowest round in the PGA Championship's 106-year history.

Scheffler, 27, is a 10-time PGA Tour winner. This year, he claimed the 2024 Masters tournament and The Players Championship, making him the first player to win those tournaments back-to-back.

Separately to the Scheffler arrest, the PGA Championship posted on social media that play had been temporarily suspended on Friday "due to an accident near the course."

It then updated fans telling them play would resume at 8:35 a.m. local time after being "delayed 1 hour and 20 minutes from the originally published time."

Update 05/17/24, 8:23 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.

Update 05/17/24, 9:34 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include Scheffler's mugshot and charge sheet.