Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 professional golfer in the world, had a strong performance Friday at Valhalla Golf Club despite being arrested and charged with second-degree assault on a police officer just hours before tee time. .
Scheffler returned to the course just an hour before the competition started. Still, he birdied his first hole, despite what he called a “chaotic situation” that led to his early morning arrest by police in Louisville, Kentucky.
He ended up posting a 5-under 66, just two strokes behind the leader, according to . fox news.
“Chaos” was also the perfect way to describe his Friday.
Police said the man ignored instructions and hit a detective as he drove up to the club’s gates just before 9 a.m.
The video showed the moment he was arrested.
Scotty Scheffler was handcuffed before the PGA Championship due to a misunderstanding and came close to shooting Derek Jeter in the tunnel before the World Series in ‘The Other Guys’ pic.twitter.com/t5b3kIA6Df
— Billy (@Billyhottakes) May 17, 2024
As the golfer approached the entrance, the detective stopped the car and tried to give him instructions. However, he suddenly “refused to comply and accelerated, dragging Detective Gillis to the ground,” according to the police report.
The detective suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital for treatment, authorities said.
Scheffler said it was all a misunderstanding and that he didn’t understand what the police wanted from him when he stepped on the gas and the car plowed into the officer.
“This morning, I was acting at the direction of a police officer,” Scheffler said in a statement. “It was a very confusing situation, which is understandable given the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and there was a huge misunderstanding of what I thought was being asked of me. I didn’t want to ignore that. Today I want to put that aside and focus on golf.”
He added: “Of course, everyone involved in the tournament sends our deepest condolences to the family of the man who died in this morning’s accident. It really puts everything into perspective.”
Statement from Scotty Scheffler. He called it a “very chaotic situation.” pic.twitter.com/hS6OdqpZwD
— Sean Zak (@Sean_Zak) May 17, 2024
of Fee Charges against Scheffler include second-degree assault on a police officer (a felony), third-degree criminal mischief (a misdemeanor), reckless driving, and failure to signal a traffic-directing officer (a misdemeanor).
However, he was released without bail and it was time for tea.
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