Scottie Scheffler discusses ‘fairly traumatic’ PGA Championship arrest
Masters champion Scottie Scheffler revealed he knew five days before it became public that charges stemming from his arrest during the PGA Championship would be dismissed. This knowledge, however, marked the beginning of his efforts to move past the incident rather than its end. The charges were formally dismissed on May 29, nearly two weeks…
Masters champion Scottie Scheffler revealed he knew five days before it became public that charges stemming from his arrest during the PGA Championship would be dismissed. This knowledge, however, marked the beginning of his efforts to move past the incident rather than its end.
The charges were formally dismissed on May 29, nearly two weeks after the world’s No. 1 golfer was seen being arrested and handcuffed outside Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Scheffler’s attorney had informed him on May 24 that dropping the charges was a formality due to the substantial evidence in his favor. Despite this, Scheffler found it challenging to move on.
“Even though the charges are dropped, it doesn’t mean it’s over for me,” Scheffler said on Tuesday ahead of the Memorial Tournament. “It’s not something I enjoy reliving because the experience of being arrested was traumatic for me.”
The incident will remain a significant part of Scheffler’s memory. The charges, dismissed on May 29, related to a fatal accident involving a pedestrian, John Mills. Scheffler faced a felony charge for assaulting a police officer with his vehicle and three misdemeanors after allegedly not following police instructions. The arresting officer claimed he was dragged by Scheffler’s car and suffered minor injuries.
A surveillance video released by Louisville police showed Detective Bryan Gillis pursuing Scheffler’s vehicle and stopping him from entering the course. The video, however, did not capture the initial contact between Gillis and Scheffler.
Despite the ordeal, Scheffler managed to compete in the PGA Championship, making his tee time for the second round and finishing tied for eighth. His attorney, Steve Romines, mentioned that there were grounds for a civil lawsuit against Louisville police, though Scheffler was not interested in pursuing litigation. He felt it wouldn’t be right for the people of Louisville to bear the consequences of their police department’s mistakes.
Scheffler’s first media appearance since the charges were dismissed was at the Memorial. He mentioned that his only other encounters with the law involved a couple of speeding tickets. Reflecting on the incident, he expressed uncertainty about how it happened and acknowledged that it would remain a part of his season’s narrative, although he hoped people would eventually forget.
“I think that’s part of the recovery process, trying to understand how this happened,” Scheffler said. “It will always be a part of this season for me, but with time, I hope it fades from people’s memories.”
