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The PGA Championship was thrown into chaos early Friday morning after Scottie Scheffler was arrested by the Louisville Metropolitan Police Division simply exterior Valhalla’s gates.
In trying to drive round a roadblock arrange in response to a deadly accident involving a shuttle bus and PGA Championship vendor, Scheffler was stopped by police, faraway from his automotive, handcuffed and pushed away in a police automotive.
He was later launched and arrived to Valhalla with about an hour to go earlier than his second spherical tee time. Shortly after arriving on the grounds and starting his warm-up on the driving vary earlier than his spherical, Scheffler (or his staff) launched an announcement on his Instagram web page.
“This morning, I used to be continuing as directed by cops,” Scheffler stated within the assertion. “It was a really chaotic scenario, understandably so contemplating the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and there was a giant misunderstanding of what I believed I used to be being requested to do. I by no means meant to ignore any of the directions. I’m hopeful to place this to the facet and concentrate on golf at present.
“In fact, all of us concerned within the match specific our deepest sympathies to the household of the person who handed away within the earlier accident this morning. It actually places every thing in perspective.”
Earlier Friday morning, Scheffler was driving a marked PGA Championship courtesy automobile, that are sometimes allowed by visitors blocks which can be typically arrange round golf tournaments, when the incident occurred.
ESPN Reporter Jeff Darlington witnessed the arrest and reported a police officer tried to cease Scheffler, however he stored driving till the officer “connected himself” to Scheffler’s automotive to get him to cease.
The officer then pulled Scheffler from his automotive and handcuffed him as Darlington started filming the encounter. Scheffler may very well be heard asking Darlington, “Are you able to please assist me?” as he was being led away by officers. He was pushed away at the back of a police automotive.
Scheffler was booked on 4 fees, together with assault of a police officer, by the Louisville Metro PD round 7:30 a.m., however was launched about an hour later and arrived at Valhalla simply after 9 a.m., about an hour earlier than his scheduled second-round tee time of 10:08 a.m. Tee occasions on the match have been delayed an hour and 20 minutes because of the earlier fatality.
Scheffler’s arrest led to confusion over whether or not the World No. 1 would be capable of proceed the match after taking pictures a four-under 67 on Thursday.
He arrived properly earlier than for tee time and warmed up on the vary. Scheffler birdied his first gap — the par-5 tenth gap — to maneuver to 5 underneath for the match.