World-renowned golfer Scottie Scheffler found himself in an unexpected predicament on Friday morning when he was detained by Louisville police outside Valhalla Golf Club. The incident occurred just before the second round of the PGA Championship, with Scheffler being taken into custody before 7:30 a.m., as reported by the Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections.
The incident unfolded rapidly and aggressively, according to eyewitnesses. Scheffler, 27, was trying to navigate around traffic caused by a fatal accident involving a shuttle bus near the golf course. As he attempted to enter the course, a police officer began pounding on the side of his car, signaling him to stop.
Scheffler continued to drive for about 10 yards before halting his vehicle. The officer then reached into the car, attempting to pull Scheffler out. The golfer eventually opened the door, at which point the officer pulled him out, pushed him against the car, and handcuffed him.
The vehicle Scheffler was driving was a courtesy car provided to players for accessing the course. Despite this, the police officer informed onlookers that Scheffler was being arrested, and PGA security was not permitted to intervene as he was taken away.
Scheffler, visibly shocked by the unfolding events, was placed in the back of the police car. He was detained in the vehicle for approximately 20 minutes. At the time, the officers were unaware that Scheffler was a participant in the tournament, let alone the world’s top-ranked golfer.
Scheffler, who was set to tee off at 8:48 a.m., was trying to reach the course for the second round of the tournament, which was delayed by an hour and a half. Despite the morning’s events, Scheffler had performed well in the tournament, shooting a 4-under 67 on Thursday, leaving him five shots behind leader Xander Schauffele.
The incident occurred as Scheffler was making his return to the circuit following the birth of his first child, a son named Bennett, with his wife Meredith. The two-time Masters winner had missed the Wells Fargo Championship the previous week, which was won by Rory McIlroy.
Scheffler, who married Meredith in 2020, had recently shared the first image of his newborn son on social media, expressing his joy at becoming a parent.