Scottie Scheffler released by police, arrives at PGA Championship

LOUISVILLE – World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was released by police on May 17 and arrived at the PGA Championship less than an hour before his second round tee time after being arrested and charged with the assault of a police officer en route to the tournament.

The Masters champion was detained in handcuffs after a misunderstanding of traffic flow led to his attempt to drive past a police officer and into the Valhalla Golf Club, ESPN reported.

The start to the second round had been delayed due to what tournament organisers called a “serious accident” in which a man was killed, near Valhalla in Louisville, that forced a change to traffic patterns in the area.

Scheffler, who was not involved in the accident, reportedly attempted to drive around the scene before a police officer grabbed on to the golfer’s car.

It also said the police officer attempted to attach himself to Scheffler’s car to stop him and the American finally stopped his vehicle at the entrance to Valhalla.

The officer then yelled at Scheffler to get out of the car, and when he did, he shoved the golfer against the vehicle and placed him in handcuffs.

Scheffler was later charged with second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding traffic signals from an officer.

In the first round of the PGA Championship on May 16, new dad Scheffler fired a 67, sending the crowd into a frenzy with an eagle to start his campaign.

Playing his first hole after welcoming baby boy Bennett last week, the world No. 1 hit the ball some 167 yards from the middle of the fairway and grinned widely as it bounced once on the green and hopped into the cup.

He was five shots behind Xander Schauffele, who believes that he is playing close to his best golf, just as a two-year win drought has him yearning for a Major breakthrough like never before.

The world No. 3, who is also the Tokyo Olympic champion, yet again matched the lowest round in Major golf history with a nine-under 62 on May 16 to seize the first-round lead at Valhalla.

He did it once before, in the first round of the 2023 US Open, and only two other men have returned 62s at a Major. Rickie Fowler achieved the feat moments before Schauffele last season, and South African Branden Grace, in the third round at the 2017 British Open.

Asked if he was playing the best golf of his career, the 30-year-old Schauffele replied: “Probably, yeah. I would say it’s very close to it if not it.”

Schauffele has endured 19 top-10 finishes in PGA Tour events since last winning at the 2022 Scottish Open, and his 10 top-10 Major finishes do not include any victories.

However, his bogey-free 62 indicate he is ready for bigger things.

“Not winning makes you want to win more, as weird as that is,” he added.

“For me, at least, I react to it, and I want it more and more and more, and it makes me want to work harder and harder and harder.

“The top feels far away and I feel like I have a lot of work to do, but just slowly chipping away at it.”

The opportunity is right there for him as he topped the leaderboard over countrymen Tony Finau, Mark Hubbard and Sahith Theegala on 65.

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, South Korean Tom Kim, Scotsman Robert MacIntyre, Belgium’s Thomas Detry and Americans Tom Hoge, Collin Morikawa and Maverick McNealy shared fifth on 66.

Tiger Woods, who collected one of his 15 Major titles at Valhalla in 2000 with a play-off win over Bob May, opened with a 72. AFP, REUTERS