World No1 golfer Scottie Scheffler charged with assaulting police officer outside US PGA Championship

17 May 2024, 12:54 | Updated: 17 May 2024, 16:17

World number one golfer Scottie Scheffler has been charged with assaulting a police officer outside the PGA Championship course after allegedly trying to drive past police.

The golf pro was detained but released just in time to tee off at the course on Friday at around 10.08am local time (15:08 BST).

The Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections, who posted a mugshot of the world number one, said he was booked in at 7.28am local time and released at 8.40am.

Arriving on the course, Scheffler described his arrest as "a big misunderstanding" following "a very chaotic situation".

In footage shared very widely online, Scheffler, 27, was earlier seen being led into a police car in handcuffs as he tried to enter the club before his second round of the PGA Championship.

Scheffler faces charges of second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic.

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Golfer Scottie Scheffler detained by police

It came after he drove into the golf club in heavy traffic caused by an earlier, unrelated accident in which a pedestrian died after being struck by a shuttle bus.

"Can you please help me?" a panicked Scheffler said, speaking to a nearby reporter, the footage showed.

A pedestrian was earlier hit and killed by a shuttle bus near the golf course. Scheffler was not involved but the accident had caused long traffic queues near the golf course.

He is reported to have been asked to stop his vehicle, but he kept driving for around 20 yards.

A police officer told an ESPN reporter who was near the scene: “Right now he’s going to jail.

“He’s going to jail and there’s nothing you can do about it. Period.”

The second round of the 2024 PGA Championship was delayed by around 80 minutes due to the pedestrian fatality near the course.

Shortly before Scheffler got his second round under way, a statement was issued on behalf of the Masters champion on social media.

"This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers," Scheffler said.

"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."

ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington, who witnessed the incident, said on air: "Traffic had been backed up and building, Scottie Scheffler tried to enter Valhalla Golf Club using a side median, at which point a police officer instructed him to stop.

"Scheffler attempted to continue to go, the police officer then attached himself to the side of Scheffler's car.

"Scheffler stopped the vehicle as he turned into Valhalla Golf Club at the entrance about 10 to 20 yards from the point at which the police officer first told him to stop.

"At that point the police officer instructed Scheffler to get out of the car.

"He rolled down the window, the police officer grabbed his arm and started pulling at it. He reached inside, opened the car door, pulled Scheffler out, pushed him up against the car, immediately placed him in handcuffs."