LOUISVILLE, Ky. – World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler was arrested and booked into a Louisville jail Friday morning after an incident with police near the entrance of Valhalla Golf Club, the site of this week’s 2024 PGA Championship.
Scheffler, 27, is facing four criminal charges − including second degree assault on a police officer, which is a felony − after an encounter with a Louisville police officer who was directing traffic in front of the golf course, following a fatal collision in the area earlier Friday morning.
In a criminal complaint obtained by USA TODAY Sports, the officer wrote that Scheffler disregarded his verbal instructions, accelerated his car forward and dragged the officer to the ground, causing pain and swelling to his left knee and wrist. Scheffler said in a statement that he was “proceeding as directed” by officers and called the incident “a big misunderstanding.”
“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,” he wrote in the statement. “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.”
Scheffler was arrested just before 6:30 a.m. and booked into jail roughly an hour later, according to online records published by the Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections. He is being charged with second degree assault on a police officer, criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic.
Tee times were delayed by almost 90 minutes Friday due to the traffic accident, in which an employee of one of the event’s vendors, John Mills, was killed.
By 9:15 a.m., Scheffler had been released from jail and arrived at Valhalla. He teed off less than an hour later and went on to shoot a 5-under 66, moving to 9 under and just two strokes off the lead entering Saturday.
Louisville police did not immediately reply to requests from USA TODAY Sports for comment and more information on Scheffler’s arrest. His arraignment is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday.
Louisville-based attorney Steve Romines confirmed Scheffler’s charges to local reporters in a brief interview Friday and said “we’ll litigate the case as it comes.” Romines indicated to multiple news outlets that Scheffler intends to plead not guilty.
“Apparently there had been a traffic accident, or maybe even a fatality down the road, and that had changed the traffic patterns, and he was unaware of that,” Romines said, according to video posted by WLKY-TV. “And, I think the officer that was directing traffic was maybe not part of the event traffic detail and so that’s where the miscommunication arose and that’s why we’re here.”
The arrest came as a shock to the world of golf, where Scheffler has become known as not only one of the top ball-strikers on the PGA Tour but also one of its most affable characters. He has won 10 PGA Tour events and two majors, including the most recent edition of the Master’s earlier this spring. A recent article on Golf.com dubbed him “golf’s best player (and) maybe its most charming, too.”
ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington first broke the news of Scheffler’s arrest after witnessing it take place outside of Valhalla on Friday morning. He wrote on social media that “a misunderstanding with traffic flow led to (Scheffler’s) attempt to drive past a police officer” toward the golf course.
Darlington later posted a video clip on social media of Scheffler being escorted by police while in handcuffs and described the events as he witnessed them on social media and on ESPN. The video shows police detaining Scheffler and an officer telling Darlington that the golfer is going to jail.
Darlington added that Scheffler, while in handcuffs, looked toward to the reporter and said: “Please help me.”
“They told him to stop,” Darlington said in an appearance on ESPN. “When he didn’t stop, the police officer attached himself to the vehicle. Scheffler then traveled another 10 yards before stopping the car. The police officer then grabbed at his arm attempting to pull him out of the car before Scheffler eventually opened the door, at which point the police officer pulled Scheffler out of the car, pushed him up against the car and immediately placed him in handcuffs.”
Romines told reporters that Scheffler showed police officers his credential and was attempting to enter the golf couse like he had been instructed to. In the criminal complaint, meanwhile, the officer alleges that Scheffler accelerated forward. The officer was taken to the hospital and wrote in the complaint that his uniform pants “were damaged beyond repair.”
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear alluded to Scheffler’s arrest in a statement expressing condolences about Mills’ death in the traffic accident Friday, calling it “the unfortunate result of this tragic incident.”
“We are hopeful that all parties involved can come to a resolution,” Beshear said.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg also released a statement describing Scheffler’s arrest as “unfortunate” but adding that police were investigating and “the legal process will proceed.” The Louisville prosecutor’s office did not immediately reply to an email from USA TODAY Sports about the case Friday.
Scheffler shot a 4-under-par 67 in Thursday’s opening round and was tied for 12th entering Friday. He has won four of the past five PGA Tour events that he’s entered dating back to the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March.
Contributing: Scooby Axson
