Scottie Scheffler Drama Continues as his Caddie Leaves him

Scottie Scheffler experienced an extraordinary Friday at the PGA Championship, culminating in a unique Saturday where he played without his usual caddie. Scheffler’s longtime caddie, Ted Scott, missed the third round to attend his daughter’s high school graduation, a planned absence Scheffler fully supported. Scott is expected to return for Sunday’s final round.

Scheffler highlighted the importance of family, noting that they had discussed Scott’s commitment early in their working relationship. “Family always comes first,” Scheffler said. “It was a pretty easy decision. He told me at the beginning of this year that that was the date.”

In Scott’s place, Brad Payne, Scheffler’s close friend and a PGA Tour chaplain who has caddied for Paul Stankowski, stepped in. Scheffler expressed confidence in Payne, stating, “I trust him to rake a bunker more than my buddies.”

Adding to the drama, Scheffler was arrested and released before his second round on Friday. Heavy police presence at Valhalla, due to a fatal collision delaying the start of the round, led to Scheffler being detained. He faced four charges, including second-degree assault of a police officer, for an unrelated incident. Despite this, Scheffler shot a remarkable 66 to sit at nine-under-par, three shots off the lead.

Scheffler issued a statement addressing the arrest, citing a misunderstanding in the chaotic situation following the earlier accident. “I never intended to disregard any of the instructions. I’m hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today,” he said. He also expressed condolences to the victim’s family, emphasizing the incident’s sobering effect.

Thus, Scheffler navigated a challenging day both on and off the course, demonstrating resilience and focus in the face of significant distractions.