The world’s top-ranked professional golfer, Scottie Scheffler, has been arrested and charged in connection with improperly attempting to drive around the scene of a traffic accident at a Louisville, Kentucky, golf course early Friday.
The incident was first reported by the U.S. sports network ESPN. It reported Scheffler was attempting to enter Valhalla Golf Club for the second round of the Professional Golf Association championship tournament. Traffic outside the golf course had been stopped after a man was struck and killed by a shuttle bus around 5 a.m.
ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington, who witnessed the incident, reported that Scheffler was trying to drive around the crash scene on a median when a police officer instructed him to stop, but that Scheffler continued to drive about 10 to 20 meters (33 to 66 feet) toward the venue entrance.
Darlington reported the officer attached himself to the side of Scheffler’s car to get him to stop. When the car stopped and Scheffler rolled down his window, the officer grabbed Scheffler's arm, opened the car door, pulled Scheffler out, pushed him against the car and placed him in handcuffs.
Darlington said the officer did not appear to know who Scheffler was. In video taken at the scene, the officer looked into the camera and said of Scheffler, "Right now, he's going to jail. He's going to jail, and there ain't nothing you can do about it. Period."
The U.S. news network CNN, citing Jefferson County Court records, reported Scheffler was charged with second-degree assault on a police officer — a felony — along with lesser charges of third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from officers directing traffic. He was later released.
The 27-year-old Scheffler has won four of five major golf tournaments he has entered, including last month’s Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. He entered the PGA Championship as the favorite and was tied for 12th place, five shots behind the leader after the first round.
PGA officials delayed the start of the second round Friday by an hour and 20 minutes.
The second round had been scheduled to begin at 7:15 a.m.; Scheffler was scheduled to tee off at 8:48 a.m. He teed off 10:08 a.m.
The PGA reported that following his release, Scheffler issued the following statement:
"This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers. 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.”