If there’s been a more bizarre, unfathomable incident involving a professional golfer, nothing really comes to mind.
World No. 1 and reigning Masters champion Scottie Scheffler was arrested early Friday morning on his way to play in the second round of the PGA Championship. Jeff Darlington was on the scene for ESPN to exceptionally break it all down in real time, as a mugshot of Scheffler in an orange jumpsuit and more details of the charges he faces emerged.
Here is video that I took of Scheffler being arrested: https://t.co/8UPZKvPCCf pic.twitter.com/9Tbp2tyrJh
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) May 17, 2024
My brain can't compute this pic. Just truly cannot believe they cuffed him and hauled him off and threw him in a jumpsuit and took a mugshot. Insane that not one person stepped in during the process and said maybe we don't need to do all of this https://t.co/ZkxN40JlXc
— Mark Titus (@clubtrillion) May 17, 2024
.@JeffDarlington just said on SportsCenter that a police officer, who thought Darlington was with Scheffler as perhaps a manager or agent, said to him as he approached the situation, "there's nothing you can do, he's going to jail."
— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) May 17, 2024
Scottie Scheffler charges
– 2nd Degree assault of Police officer
– Criminal Mischief 3rd degree
– Reckless driving
– Disregard signals from officer directing traffic pic.twitter.com/bX8mFF2Xay— sam stone (@sam_rock_stone) May 17, 2024
Excelling reporting from @JeffDarlington.
I can’t believe this is a real thing that is happening. pic.twitter.com/yH57ZuctnQ
— No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) May 17, 2024
It was obviously a total misunderstanding as Scheffler was just trying to get to the course at Valhalla, but had to drive around the scene of a traffic accident where a shuttle bus struck and killed a pedestrian near the course early Friday morning. The accident caused a delay to the second round as it was.
A pedestrian was hit and killed by a shuttle bus this morning outside Valhalla golf club around 5am. Play at the PGA Championship is delayed until 8:35am.
— Kira K. Dixon (@KiraDixon) May 17, 2024
To summarize this morning's reports: There was a fatal accident blocking traffic to the course. It appears Scottie Scheffler attempted to bypass the traffic and was placed in handcuffs. The second round has been delayed by at least one hour. Truly unbelievable.
— Jason Sobel (@JasonSobelGolf) May 17, 2024
Scottie Scheffler’s new tee time is 10:08 a.m.
Worth noting: Rule 5.3a in the Rules of Golf under “When to Start Round” lists “Exception 3 — Committee Decides that Exceptional Circumstances Prevented You from Starting on Time.” Under this provision, there is no breach of rule…
— Jason Sobel (@JasonSobelGolf) May 17, 2024
No question that Scheffler didn’t know he was disobeying any sort of law. The man is about as solid of a citizen as it gets.
Scottie told the police officer "I did not know you were a police officer"
The first image is live, and I can't tell you if it's a police officer or a security guard. Now imagine the confusion in the dark at 5 AM. pic.twitter.com/Xej1uYhNm6
— No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) May 17, 2024
Scottie was ultimately released and it appears as though he’ll be able to make his adjusted tee time.
Scottie Scheffler has been released and is expected to arrive at the PGA Championship at 9am ET.
His 2nd-round tee time is set for 10:08am ET.
— Randy Scott (@RandyScottESPN) May 17, 2024
ESPN captures video of Scottie Scheffler arriving at Valhalla Golf Club after being arrested earlier Friday morning trying to enter the course. pic.twitter.com/pkiczpcC7e
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 17, 2024
After being detained by police earlier this morning, Scottie Scheffler was released and is back at Valhalla Golf Club for his second round of the PGA Championship. pic.twitter.com/KvS5Hwo6PS
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 17, 2024
The fans at Valhalla just gave Scottie Scheffler a massive ovation as he walked to the driving range.
Ricker Fowler asked if he was all good, and Scheffler responded with "All good."
Someone also yelled, "You're not a criminal."
What a wild day at the PGA Championship.
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) May 17, 2024
How do these police officers not recognize the situation? Obviously Scottie must not have told them who he was, which is so on-brand for him. The tragedy of the accident that sparked this whole bizarre Scheffler arrest makes me not want to joke around about it too much, but I mean, what the actual hell just happened here?
Talk about things that would never be on one’s bingo card. Scottie Scheffler getting arrested and charged with assaulting a police officer in the second degree during a major championship is about as off the hypothetical bingo grid as it gets.
Pro golfer Michael Kim was among those baffled by the whole situation, and understood why Scheffler did what he did, as it’s pretty routine for players to be waived through any sort of traffic or security hang-up.
I will never drive around other cars in traffic driving into a golf tournament ever again… something I’ve done countless of times
— Michael S. Kim (@Mike_kim714) May 17, 2024
At some point I’m sure Scheffler will talk about this today after his round. Talk about a distraction, though. He shot a 4-under 67 on Thursday and trails leader Xander Schauffele by five shots. I just can’t imagine how Scottie can lock in and continue to contend for the Wanamaker Trophy after this fiasco.
It’d be one of the more impressive major victories of all-time if he can chase down Xander, beat out a loaded leaderboard, and — just so I know I have this right and am not hallucinating —overcome the adversity of getting arrested for assaulting a police officer.
From the initial descriptions and reports of what happened when Scottie’s vehicle was stopped, the charges he faces seem just a tad hyperbolic. Nevertheless, the facts are the facts. And the facts make me believe the simulation we are living in is officially broken.
Many on the Twittersphere agree with me — and again, nobody is trying to trivialize the tragedy that took place that led to Scottie’s arrest. It’s just that this whole scenario is too strange for there not to be myriad reactions to it.
Scheffler driving back to the Valhalla course after making bail pic.twitter.com/apUNM2pVge
— Shooter McGavin (@ShooterMcGavin_) May 17, 2024
Scottie Scheffler’s entrance on the first tee pic.twitter.com/NurcqLuPTe
— Bunkie Perkins (@BunkiePerkins) May 17, 2024
The other inmates when they find out they’re going to be in a cell block with Scottie Scheffler pic.twitter.com/KqtknP7jMf
— Jordie (@jordiebarstool) May 17, 2024
Scottie Scheffler is supposed to tee off at the PGA Championship in 30 min but instead is sitting in some Louisville drunk tank with Papa John pic.twitter.com/eWYsjw7akI
— Merz (@MyManMerz) May 17, 2024
Tiger Woods picking up Scottie Scheffler from the Louisville Police Department #freescottie pic.twitter.com/Ax6metdSyg
— RGF (@rgfray1) May 17, 2024
The only way to keep Scottie Scheffler from winning a major championship. pic.twitter.com/tgyXF3hAil
— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) May 17, 2024
Breaking News: I have obtained a picture of the officer that arrested Scottie Scheffler pic.twitter.com/CwsGzQTfwM
— Nick Bucholtz (@nrbucholtz) May 17, 2024
Scottie Scheffler returning to the PGA Championship after making bail pic.twitter.com/XriYOKMA9w
— Kevin Finnerty (@timeimmemorial_) May 17, 2024
Scottie Scheffler ticket holders calling into the police station this morning pic.twitter.com/jMYVQjxWwN
— j (@Jferrie23) May 17, 2024
This is probably the most out of line behavior for Scheffler. And now he’s in jail #freescottie pic.twitter.com/HNSAifX0xr
— Pamela Maldonado (@pamelam35) May 17, 2024
imagine getting thrown in the drunk tank last night after hitting the bars in Louisville and you wake up to see Scottie Scheffler is your cellmate
— jxke. 🧸 (@cantguardjake) May 17, 2024
Scottie Scheffler headed to the first tee once he’s released from jail pic.twitter.com/dtSoweg0hc
— Richmond John🦩 (@TheRichmondJohn) May 17, 2024
John Daly on his way to break Scottie Scheffler out of jail pic.twitter.com/dAo8ET7h7S
— ⚜️Alan Thomas⚜️ (@CardN_AL) May 17, 2024
Louisville Police Chief to the officer that arrested Scottie Scheffler this morning and created a media shit storm pic.twitter.com/LuMrIjZVYI
— Armel (@Armelgeddon) May 17, 2024
Scottie Scheffler just had a kid, won't have his caddie starting tomorrow and just got a whiff of jail food. he decided to play on the golf equivalent of All-Madden because things had gotten too easy. https://t.co/mprztp8DwQ
— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) May 17, 2024
Scottie Scheffler and the gang just minutes before his tee time at Valhalla pic.twitter.com/GV0jyBsfye
— Wes Blankenship (@Wes_nship) May 17, 2024
