‘Free Scottie’: PGA peers discuss shock of Scheffler’s ‘wild’ arrest
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Scottie Scheffler walks off the ninth green through a throng of fans after finishing his second round of the PGA Championship.
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LOUISVILLE – Long described as a level-headed, wholesome family man whose dominance in golf bordered on boring, Scottie Scheffler now has a mugshot in an orange jumpsuit and a scheduled arraignment on his resume.
His peers at the PGA Championship were as shocked as anyone that the No. 1 golfer in the world was arrested
“You kind of take it all in, and talking amongst all the players and caddies and physios and our little bubble in there, and it’s just wild,” Harris English said after his round.
“Turn on ESPN and seeing Scottie in handcuffs, getting in a police car, I never would have thought I would have seen that this morning.”
A shuttle bus was involved in a fatal collision outside the course at 5.09am, which caused a traffic back-up.
Just after 6am, after Scheffler tried to drive around the accident, he was arrested and charged with assault of a police officer (a felony), reckless driving, disregard of traffic signals from officers and third-degree criminal mischief.
ESPN reported that an officer “attached himself to the side of Scheffler’s car” before the vehicle stopped.
The golfer said in a statement that he merely misunderstood the direction officers had given him, and his attorney said multiple eyewitnesses confirmed he was only “proceeding as directed”.
Australian Min Woo Lee was one of multiple golfers in the field to tweet the hashtag #FreeScottie.
“I thought it was a little overreaction,” Lee said of Scheffler’s arrest.
“Personally I went around traffic, and I was following cars... I thought it was a bit of an overreaction. A lot of people were doing it. I don’t know what kind of caused it (the arrest).”
English echoed the fact – also in ESPN’s reporting – that other golfers got around the accident and onto the property.
“We had no idea what was going on. That could have been any one of us,” he said. “We’re all taking that same route coming into the club.”
Scheffler was eventually released and proceeded to make his tee time with Brian Harman and Wyndham Clark, shot a five-under 66
He was seen sharing a laugh with Harman as they headed to their tee time. In a pre-round interview with ESPN, Harman added to the chorus of players supporting the 27-year-old from Texas.
“I don’t know all the details, but I know, knowing Scottie, that he is one hell of a dude and I am sure glad he’s gonna be out here to play,” he said.
“He’s one of those guys that smiles at you when he beats the brakes off you.”
Harman added that amid the chaos, the players were “just supportive”, hoping Scheffler would be able to play. Some had even asked for the second round to be postponed, according to Will Zalatoris.
Englishman Ian Poulter, a member of LIV Golf not in the field this week, asserted that too much attention was being paid to Scheffler, compared to the victim of the original accident, a PGA vendor employee named John Mills.
“What’s more concerning is the tragic loss of life at the PGA to a spectator hit by a bus,” he posted on X. “Thoughts to the families affected by that news. Rather than all the press around Scottie. Sad day in golf.” REUTERS
