LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The No. 1 golfer in the world Scottie Scheffler was arrested by Louisville police on Friday morning outside of Valhalla Golf Club.
This happened just hours before he was scheduled to begin his second round of the PGA Championship.
According to a police report, an LMPD officer was directing traffic into Gate 1 of Valhalla Golf Club due to the road being closed in both directions from an earlier fatal crash involving a pedestrian and a shuttle bus at about 5 a.m.
Scheffler allegedly attempted to drive past the police officer, in a marked player's vehicle with visible credentials, to get into the club.
The police report said the officer stopped Scheffler and tried to give him instructions, but Scheffler allegedly refused to listen and accelerated forward "dragging" the officer to the ground.
LMPD said the officer suffered "pain, swelling, and abrasions" to his left wrist and knee. He was taken to the hospital for further medical treatment by EMS.
The report said the officer's $80 pants were "damaged beyond repair."
Scheffler was detained, booked at Metro Corrections and has now since been released. He returned to Valhalla to continue playing in the tournament, arriving about 45 minutes before his 10:08 tee time.
He called the situation "a big misunderstanding."
Scheffler posted a statement to his Instagram story saying:
“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 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. 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 was charged with 2nd degree assault of a police officer, 3rd degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from officers directing traffic. The assault charge is a felony offense.
Scheffler will be arraigned on Tuesday at 9 a.m.
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