Scottie Scheffler explains ‘chaotic situation’ after arrest at PGA Championship

Scottie Scheffler described his arrest by police Friday at Valhalla Golf Club as a “very chaotic situation” after issuing a statement ahead of the second round of the PGA Championship.

Scheffler was arrested hours before the match was scheduled to start after he failed to stop for a police officer near the club’s entrance. Before he was taken to the local police station, he could be heard pleading for help.

Scheffler was charged with second-degree assault on a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding a traffic signal issued by an officer directing traffic. He was released and went to the golf course less than an hour before his scheduled start at the revised time of 15:08 BST (10:08 local time).

In a statement, Scheffler said: “This morning I followed the advice of police officers. It was a very chaotic situation, which is understandable given the tragic accident that had happened earlier, and there was a lot of misunderstanding of what was being asked of me. I never intended to disregard any of the instructions. I hope to put that aside and focus on golf today.

“Of course, everyone involved in the tournament expresses our deepest sympathies to the family of the man who died in an accident earlier this morning. It really puts everything into perspective.”

The American, who is one of the favorites for his second major this year, was apparently stopped this morning while trying to enter the golf course, resulting in a fatal pedestrian accident that caused heavy traffic around the Valhalla estate.

ESPN report that a car accident led to a police presence near the golf course entrance and that Scheffler’s car stopped after attempting to drive past the officers.

The extraordinary footage shows the 27-year-old getting out of the vehicle and being handcuffed. The golfer, wearing a polo shirt and black shorts, was taken away by two officers and thrown into a car after pleading for help, with an ESPN reporter saying he was “going to jail right now.”

Scheffler was booked by the Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections (LMDP) at 7:28 a.m. local time (12:28 a.m. BST).

The start of the second day of the competition was delayed due to a fatal accident.

“Play for Round 2 will begin at 8:35 a.m. (1:35 p.m. BST),” the PGA Championship confirmed in a statement. “The start time for the entire Round 2 is delayed by 1 hour and 20 minutes from the originally published time. All spectator gates will open at 8:00.”

Scheffler recorded a round of 4-under 67 and was in 12th place after the first round, five shots behind leader Xander Schauffele. Friday’s games may also be disrupted by the unfavorable weather forecast for Valhalla.