World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler tees off at PGA Championship after being arrested, charged with felony for incident outside Valhalla
World No. 1 player Scottie Scheffler faced an eventful morning on Friday following an altercation with a police officer outside Valhalla Golf Club, where the PGA Championship was being held. Scheffler was charged with second-degree assault of a police officer, criminal mischief in the third degree, reckless driving, and disregarding signals from officers directing traffic. Despite these charges, he was released from custody at 8:40 a.m. ET and returned to Valhalla at 9:12 a.m. ET to resume his participation in the tournament.
On his Instagram story, Scheffler explained the incident, citing a chaotic situation and a misunderstanding of police instructions amid the tragic accident earlier that morning. He expressed his intention to focus on golf despite the distractions and extended his condolences to the family affected by the earlier accident.
According to reports, the altercation occurred when Scheffler drove about "10 to 20 yards" after being told to stop by an officer, allegedly not realizing the officer's identity. This led to an escalation of the situation, resulting in Scheffler being briefly detained.
Attorney Steve Romines, representing Scheffler, clarified that Scheffler was following instructions to enter the golf course with his media credential but was unaware of altered traffic patterns due to the earlier incident.
The incident caused an 80-minute delay in the PGA Championship's second round due to the fatal accident outside the club involving a shuttle bus and a pedestrian. Despite the disruptions, Scheffler returned to play, birdying his opening hole and maintaining focus on his game amid the challenging circumstances.
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