LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Scottie Scheffler made national headlines after he was arrested outside of Valhalla Golf Club Friday morning.
But for those who aren't invested in the sports world, who is he?
The 27-year-old is currently ranked as the No. 1 player in the world, first reaching the position in the Official World Gold Rankings in March 2022.
Scheffler won the Masters in 2022 and 2024, receiving his second green jacket last month. He became the first player to win the Players Championship back-to-back in 2023 and 2024.
He has made four PGA Championship appearances.
According to the PGA, before turning pro in 2018, he played basketball and golf at Highland Park High School in Texas and won the individual state title in golf three years in a row (2012-2014). He then played collegiate golf at the University of Texas.
He has three sisters: Callie, Sara and Molly. The PGA said Callie played golf at Texas A&M and caddied for Scottie as he competed in U.S. Opens as an amateur.
Scheffler and his wife Meredith just welcomed a baby boy, named Bennett, on May 8.
How did he get arrested?
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.
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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