Scottie Scheffler during the first round of the 2024 PGA Championship. | Photo by Brian Spurlock/Getty Images
Louisville police detained Scottie Scheffler for a traffic misunderstanding prior to his second round.
Louisville Metro Police detained and arrested Scottie Scheffler outside Valhalla Golf Club on Friday morning, hours before his second-round tee time.
The incident stemmed from a misunderstanding of traffic flow, according to ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, who documented the events as this scene unfolded.
Earlier this morning, a shuttle bus fatally struck a pedestrian outside of the golf course, leading police to stop traffic, per Joel Beall of Golf Digest. It also delayed the second round of the PGA Championship, which will begin one hour and 20 minutes behind schedule.
Hence, Scheffler’s confusion about the flow of traffic.
Darlington also noted: “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.”
The police who made the arrest did not seem to know who Scheffler was, nor did they know Darlington. One officer asked Darlington if he was Scheffler’s manager or agent, adding, “There’s nothing you can do. He’s going to jail.”
Scheffler shot a 4-under 67 on Thursday, as his PGA Championship started with an incredible hole-out eagle on the first hole.
But an update around 8:30 a.m. ET indicated that police released Scheffler and he will arrive at Valhalla around 9:00 a.m. ET. He will now tee off at 10:08 a.m. ET, alongside Wyndham Clark and Brian Harman.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
