You were forgiven if you thought a deep-fake drama series came on your TV when a handcuffed Scottie Scheffler was ushered into a police car at Valhalla.
Frantic footage of the confused Texan equally baffled millions of fans, contemplating if the World No.1 would withdraw from the 2024 PGA Championship because he was in custody.
The incident occurred on the morning of May 17, as Scheffler attempted to navigate traffic congestion en route to his second-round tee time in Louisville, Kentucky.
At about 5 am that morning, John Mills, a 69-year-old tournament volunteer, was fatally struck by a shuttle bus near the club entrance. This led to significant traffic disruptions.
As Scheffler tried to enter the course, he encountered Detective Bryan Gillis of the Louisville Metro Police Department, who was directing traffic at the scene.
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Gillis said in a police report that when Scheffler’s PGA-marked vehicle arrived where he was stopping traffic, he ‘refused to comply and accelerated forward, dragging’ him to the floor. Scheffler’s attorney later said eyewitness accounts confirmed the officer wasn’t dragged by the car.
He was arrested at 7.28 am and taken away on charges including second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic.
“I assume you’re pretty good if you’re playing in the PGA?”
“You’re 27 and you’re freaking playing the PGA?”
“Is Tiger as good as they say he is?”
“I didn’t know you were the No. 1 in the world right now. That’s why all the news was there”
These were just some quotes of the various exchanges Scheffler had with officers on his way to and while at the police station – a trip in which huge doubt was cast over him hitting another shot in the tournament.
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“I don’t know what you’re charged with. But if I had to guess, I would say no,” one officer said when Scheffler asked about the probability of playing that day.
The entire ordeal further resembled a virtual simulation when a mugshot of the reigning Masters champion in an orange prisoner’s top circulated the internet.
Following the arrest, Scheffler was briefly detained and released at 8.40 am, later revealing he did stretches in a jail cell in preparation for his 10.08 am tee time with Wyndham Clark and Brian Harman, which he did make. He shot a 66 and eventually came tied for eighth.
On May 29, Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell announced the dismissal of all charges against Scheffler, stating that the golfer’s account of ‘a misunderstanding’ was corroborated by the evidence. He emphasised that while Detective Gillis was concerned for public safety, Scheffler’s actions did not meet the criteria for any criminal offences.
In the aftermath, Scheffler expressed his desire to move past the incident, stating, “I hold no ill will towards officer Gillis. I wish to put this incident behind me and move on, and I hope he will do the same. Police officers have a difficult job, and I hold them in high regard.”
Scheffler extended his condolences to the family of John Mills in a press conference on the day of the arrest, a tragedy that felt somewhat forgotten amongst the chaos.
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