World's No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler arrested, charged before PGA Championship

LOUISVILLE — PGA Tour golfer Scottie Scheffler received a wild standing ovation after arriving at his first tee Friday morning at the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club. Being the recent Masters champion and the world's No. 1 golfer, it may not have seemed unusual.

But chants of "Free Scottie"? That was one clue that told you Scheffler had a most unusual, bizarre, unprecedented morning in Louisville.

Scheffler, 27, teed off hours after having been arrested, detained, booked (with mug shot and all) after a strange incident earlier in which he allegedly tried to drive past a police officer into Valhalla Golf Club, according to police records.

It all started at 5:09 a.m., when a man working the PGA Championship as a vendor, John Mills, was struck by a shuttle bus and pronounced dead at the scene. Because of the accident, the road leading to the entrance to the golf club was closed.

In the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) arrest citation, Scheffler was driving eastbound to enter Valhalla Gate 1 when he pulled into a westbound lane, "where outbound traffic was flowing and to avoid backed up traffic," which was due to the fatal accident.

Scheffler's arrest citation says LMPD Detective Bryan Gillis was "in the middle of the westbound lanes, in full LMPD uniform and a hi-visibility yellow reflective rain jacket" when he stopped the golfer and "attempted to give instructions." The document says Scheffler was driving a "PGA Player Vehicle," a Lexus with a Texas license plate.

Scheffler, the citation says, "refused to comply and accelerated forward, dragging Detective Gillis to the ground. Detective Gillis suffered pain, swelling, and abrasions to his left wrist and knee."

Gillis was transported to a hospital by emergency workers for treatment, the citation says. His uniform pants, which the citation values at about $80, were "damaged beyond repair."

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Scheffler was booked by the Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections at 7:28 a.m. He faces charges of second-degree assault, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic, according to his arrest citation and jail records.

Second-degree assault is a Class C felony in Kentucky punishable by between five and 10 years in prison.

According to state law, assault in the second degree occurs when a person either:

• Intentionally causes serious physical injury to another person

• Intentionally causes physical injury to another person by means of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument

• Wantonly causes serious physical injury to another person by means of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument.

Scheffler is set to be arraigned at 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 21, according to court records.

Louisville attorney Steve Romines, who is representing Scheffler, told The (Louisville) Courier-Journal his client "didn't do anything wrong" and had his credentials visible inside his marked vehicle.

"He was following the instructions of another traffic control officer and trying to get into the facility to warm up and work out," Romines said.

They'll plead not guilty and litigate the matter "as needed," he added.

Scheffler was released on his recognizance at 8:40 a.m. and returned to Valhalla Golf Club not long after 9 a.m. Roughly an hour later, he teed off in the second round of the major tournament.

Scheffler posted a statement about his arrest to his Instagram story before teeing off Friday.

"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," he wrote. "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."

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Scheffler had arrived at Valhalla Monday five days after he and his wife, Meredith, became first-time parents. Bennett Scheffler was born Wednesday. Scheffler won his second Masters tournament in April.

After Friday's round, Scheffler is tied for third place in the tournament, which is scheduled through Sunday.

Scheffler was born in Ridgewood, New Jersey but grew up in Texas and attended the University of Texas.

The PGA of America released a statement offering their condolences to the family and loved ones of the man who was killed.

"This morning we were devastated to learn that a worker with one of our vendors was tragically struck and killed by a shuttle bus outside Valhalla Golf Club. This is heartbreaking to all of us involved with the PGA Championship. We extend our sincere condolences to their family and loved ones.”

The (Louisville) Courier-Journal contributed to this report.

Tom D'Angelo is a senior sports columnist and golf writer for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Golfer Scottie Scheffler arrested, charged before PGA Championship