Scheffler, 27, was charged with felony assault on a police officer, criminal mischief, reckless driving, and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic.He was detained by Louisville Metro police after driving onto a curb in an attempt to bypass a prior accident at the Valhalla entrance, an accident that tragically resulted in the death of pedestrian John Mills.
“My sympathies go out to the family of Mr. Mills. I can’t imagine what they’re going through,” Scheffler said.
Despite this chaotic ordeal, Scheffler was released and managed to return to the course in time for his second round. Remarkably, he fired a five-under-par 66, positioning himself in a tie for third place early in the second round.
“I still feel like my head is spinning a little bit, but I was fortunate to be able to make it back out and play some golf,” Scheffler said. “I’ve kept myself in the tournament now with a pretty chaotic day.”
The arrest stemmed from an incident where Scheffler, attempting to navigate around the accident scene, reportedly disobeyed orders to stop his car and accelerated, causing Officer Bryan Gillis to be dragged to the ground. Gillis was hospitalized with pain, bruising, and swelling in his left wrist and knee. An arraignment is set for Tuesday.
“I never intended to disregard any of the instructions,” Scheffler said in a statement before his round. “My situation will get handled. I can’t comment on any of the specifics, but it was just a huge misunderstanding that will get resolved I think fairly quickly.”
The PGA of America expressed their condolences for the fatal accident and confirmed their cooperation with local authorities. “We were devastated to learn that a worker with one of our vendors was tragically struck and killed by a shuttle bus,” the organization said in a statement. “This is heartbreaking to all of us involved with the PGA Championship.”
Despite his tumultuous start to the day, Scheffler arrived at Valhalla just under an hour before his tee time. He composed himself quickly, heading to the practice range and managing to play a solid round of golf.
“I was pretty rattled to say the least,” Scheffler admitted. “I was shaking. I would say in shock and in fear. Coming out here and trying to play today was definitely a challenge, but I did my best. It probably took a few holes to feel normal.”
Cole Turner of New York wore a t-shirt that had the Louisville Metro Corrections mug shot of Scottie Scheffler. (USA TODAY Sports Photo)
Fans showed their support with loud cheers as Scheffler walked onto the course, even sporting T-shirts with his mugshot, which had been posted by the Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections after his booking.
Tournament leader Xander Schauffele commented on the surreal nature of the situation. “You felt like it was sort of a prank or something when you see a mugshot of Scottie,” Schauffele said. “He’s a solid guy and there was no malintent by him to anyone. So hopefully he goes out unscathed. Scottie’s a good dude.”
Scheffler, who has been on an impressive run with four wins in his past five starts, including the Masters and Heritage last month, continues to be a formidable contender despite the day’s disruptions. His resilience was noted by fellow golfer Mark Hubbard, who marveled at Scheffler’s performance after such a turbulent morning.
“I saw as everybody did the mug shot and the police report,” Hubbard said. “Unbelievable that he gets arrested and then goes out and shoots 66.”
(With inputs from AFP)