World number No. 1 Scottie Scheffler has been arrested and charged with the assault of a police officer in what he called a "chaotic situation", before being released in time to start his second round at the PGA Championship.
Scheffler, who was placed in the back of a police car in handcuffs and later pictured in a jail-issued orange jumpsuit, says the early-morning incident was due to a misunderstanding with regards to traffic flow, following a fatal accident outside Valhalla Golf Club.
"This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers," Scheffler said on social media. "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.
"I never intended to disregard any of the instructions. I'm hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today."
According to the police report, Scheffler was heading eastbound to gain access to the course and then pulled into the westbound lanes, where outbound traffic was flowing, to avoid backed-up vehicles.
The report says the officer stopped Scheffler, who was in a marked player-courtesy vehicle, but the golfer refused to comply and instead accelerated forward, dragging the officer to the ground.
Louisville police say the officer was taken to hospital, suffering pain, swelling and abrasions to his left wrist and knee.
Steve Romines, a local attorney hired on Scheffler's behalf, says the golfer was charged with second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding traffic signals from an officer.
"He did exactly as he was instructed to do to enter the premises," said Romines. "We'll just deal with the court system as it comes."
After finally arriving at Valhalla under a steady rain, Scheffler was greeted by plenty of encouragement from the fans and headed straight to the driving range.
"My main focus, after getting arrested, was wondering if I could be able to come back out here and play, and fortunately I was able to do that," said Scheffler after his round. "It was nice to put together a solid round today for sure."
Despite the whirlwind of chaos and abbreviated warm-up, Scheffler played like nothing out of the ordinary happened, carding a five-under-par 66. He is at nine-under for the first two days of the PGA and trailed midday leader Collin Morikawa by two strokes.
"It took a few holes to settle in," Scheffler said. "It was kind of nice just to be out there inside the ropes competing.
"It's one of my favorite things in the world to do, so I was fortunate to be able to come out here and do it again today."
Scheffler, who along with his wife welcomed their first child last week, is seeking his fifth win in six starts and a second consecutive Major title.
Reuters
