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Scottie Scheffler is speaking out following his arrest earlier today outside the PGA Championship. The golfer was handcuffed by Louisville police outside of Valhalla Golf Club after a misunderstanding over traffic flow.
The 27-year-old pro-golfer was reportedly booked by police before 7:30 a.m. on Friday, according to the Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections. The situation took place in the dark around 5:45 a.m. as Scheffler was trying to get around traffic that was caused by a fatal accident involving a shuttle bus near the course, according to The New York Post.
Scottie Scheffler via Instagram
During ESPN‘s broadcast for the PGA Championship, reporter Jeff Darlington, who witnessed the chaotic event, claimed that Scheffler had been pulling into the course when a police officer began banging on the side of the car to get Scheffler to stop. “When he didn’t stop, the police officer attached himself to the vehicle, Scheffler then traveled another 10 yards before stopping the car. The police officer then grabbed at his arm, attempting to pull him out of the car before Scheffler eventually opened the door, at which point the police officer then pulled Scheffler out of the car, pushed him up against the car, and immediately placed him in handcuffs,” Darlington said on SportsCenter.
“Scheffler was then walked over to the police car, placed in the back in handcuffs. Very stunned about what was happening. Looked toward me as he was in those handcuffs and said, ‘Please help me.’ He very clearly did not know what was happening in the situation — it moved very quickly, very rapidly, very aggressively,” Darlington said.
The golfer was supposedly detained in the police car before being brought to the Department of Corrections where he was booked and then released. Since then, Scheffler has spoken out about the situation on social media. “This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers. It was a very chaotic situation, understandably so considering the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and there was a big misunderstanding of what l thought I was being asked to do. I never intended to disregard any of the instructions,” Scheffler wrote on his Instagram Story. “I’m hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today.”
“Of course, all of us involved in the tournament express our deepest sympathies to the family of the man who passed away in the earlier accident this morning. It truly puts everything in perspective,” he added. Ultimately, Scheffler was able to tee off and earned applause from onlookers as he carried on with his PGA Championship run.
The officer who was dragged by Scheffler as he continued to drive on was hospitalized, according to the Associated Press.