LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The most shocking day in golf major championship history began with a tragedy, and saw Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 male player in the world, arrested, booked into a local jail and released in time to tee off.
It was just after 5 a.m. on a rainy Friday morning that police were called to the street outside of Valhalla Golf Club. A shuttle bus traveling down Shelbyville Road struck and killed John Mills, a local man working the PGA Championship for a tournament vendor.
The fatal wreck caused traffic to be shut down in both directions outside of Valhalla, which is hosting the major championship for the first time in a decade. Scheffler arrived at the scene an hour later, amid a steady rain and flashing police lights, seeking to enter the property and begin preparation for an 8:48 a.m. tee time for Round 2 of the PGA Championship. A police and security presence outside of a major championship routine is typical, even common. “I drive by cops like that probably 10 times a year,” one PGA Tour swing coach said, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the matter.
What happened next was anything but common. When Scheffler, traveling eastbound, attempted to move his vehicle into the westbound lane, according to the Louisville Police Department arrest report, detective Bryan Gillis attempted to stop the vehicle. The police report said Scheffler continued forward, “dragging Detective Gillis to the ground,” and noted that he suffered injuries that required medical treatment, as well as irreparable damage to his $80 uniform pants. Jeff Darlington, an ESPN NFL reporter assigned to cover the second golf major of the year, happened to be on the scene and watched it unfold, reporting that Scheffler’s vehicle moved 10 to 20 yards before coming to a final stop.
Scheffler’s attorney, Steve Romines, said Scheffler was originally instructed to go in and that the officer directing traffic was not part of the event traffic detail. “So that’s where the miscommunication arose and that’s why we’re here,” Romines said Friday morning.
When Scheffler did stop, he lowered his window and the officer reached in, grabbed Scheffler’s arm and pulled the door open, Darlington reported. The officer then put Scheffler in handcuffs and pushed him against the car. As Scheffler was escorted toward a police car in the rainy dark, a video filmed by Darlington showed Scheffler turning to say, “Can you help?”
“You need to get out of the way,” another officer told Darlington. “Right now, he’s going to jail, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Scheffler was booked at the Louisville Department of Corrections at 7:28 a.m. and faces charges of second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic. A court hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
After taking mugshot photos in an orange jumpsuit that were quickly posted online and stretching inside a jail cell as he wondered whether he would be released in time, Scheffler was released at 8:40 a.m. and was picked up in a black SUV with Valhalla co-owner Jimmy Kirchdorfer in the passenger seat. He arrived at the course at 9:12 a.m., less than an hour before his 10:08 a.m. tee time, which had been delayed along with the starts for the rest of the field because of the long backup caused by the crash.
Scheffler went into the clubhouse, ate a quick breakfast and went to the driving range with just more than 30 minutes to spare for a shortened practice session.
All eyes were on Scheffler’s team as they made their way through the practice area and over the player bridge that connects the putting green and the range. Players turned their heads as the world No. 1 walked down the driving range to an open bay in the middle of the hitting area, as 30 media members followed along as closely as allowed.
“You good?” Rickie Fowler asked Scheffler.
“All good,” Scheffler replied.
The crowd of thousands stood in the rain peeking their heads around the corner hoping to see the No. 1 player in the world and the No. 1 topic of conversation in sports. Dozens of cameras set up along each side of the 10th fairway, and seemingly every reporter with a credential crammed themselves inside the ropes. This was the kind of gallery only seen by Tiger Woods in his prime.
Then the 6-foot-3 Scheffler made his way between the tarped fences and appeared under a large umbrella wearing a white quarter zip and blue pants. Before the starter could announce Scheffler’s name, the Louisville crowd unleashed a roar that most onlookers agreed was exponentially louder than any first tee walk-up they’d ever heard.
“Scott-ie! Scott-ie! Scott-ie!” they chanted.
One fan yelled, “Free Scottie!” Another said, “You look great in orange!” One said, “One of us!” In recent weeks, pieces have been written on Scheffler’s lack of charisma to match his top spot in golf. Friday morning, the entire property seemed behind Scheffler in a way no gallery had ever been before, a surreal scene of Scheffler’s lionization so quickly after his arrest.
Scheffler enters the Valhalla clubhouse after leaving a Louisville jail. (Ben Jared/PGA Tour via Getty Images)
As he hit his opening tee shot and walked down the first fairway, Scheffler walked alongside playing partners Wyndham Clark and Brian Harman. He animatedly told them a story, clearly recounting what happened Friday morning. Harman stared back with a look of shock. As Scheffler stuck his first approach shot feet from the hole for an easy birdie, “The whole world is on your side,” could be heard before another “Scottie!” chant broke out on his way to No. 11.
Scheffler’s 5.5-hour round continued that way, a mixture of extreme support and juvenile humor quick to forget a man’s death led to this moment. As he teed off on No. 15, a fan said, “What is this, a work release program?” Another said to the security detail of police officers, “What? You’re just going to let him walk away like that?” The officers laughed.
But the “Free Scottie” chants were constant. On the 16th hole, a fan named Bob Parks proudly unzipped his jacket and held it apart with his arms to make sure Scheffler and company saw his white T-shirt with “FREE SCOTTIE” written in black marker. Scheffler, with his head down in focus all day, did not notice. A few yards away, another group of three displayed similar shirts. They said they grabbed markers to scrawl on the clothes as soon as they saw the news around 7:30 a.m. Other fans printed shirts with Scheffler’s mugshot. Another man in a orange prison jumpsuit costume said he stopped at a Party City on the way.
Scheffler said after his round that his body was shaking for an hour as he sat in a jail cell trying to lower his heart rate. He had no idea if he’d be able to play, so he went through as much of his stretching routine as possible in a cell knowing it would be a tight turnaround if he returned to the course. “That was a first for me,” he joked. He said the officer who drove him into the station was kind and they had a good talk, so as he sat waiting to go in, he asked, “Hey, excuse me, can you just come hang out with me for a few minutes so I can calm down?” Scheffler said he was never angry, just in shock. At one point he looked up from his cell and saw himself being arrested on ESPN.
One older officer looked at Scheffler and asked: “So do you want the full experience today?”
Scheffler looked back at the officer confused, saying he didn’t know how to answer that.
“Come on, man, you want a sandwich?” the officer said back. So Scheffler, who had not eaten, had a sandwich.
Some fans went so far as to quickly print T-shirts in support of Scottie Scheffler. (Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
Eventually, one officer knocked on his cell and said, “Let’s go.” Scheffler looked up at the TV, saw the time and realized he might be able to make it if the traffic wasn’t bad. He got in the car and his manager, Blake Smith, asked if he still wanted to play. Scheffler said of course. He got out there and immediately heard the immense support, saying he tried to stay focused but that support meant so much to him.
Despite all the chaos surrounding the wild day, Scheffler shot a 66 to enter the clubhouse just two behind the leaders. It was a better round than he played Thursday.
And as Scheffler wrapped up the back nine, his security detail was asked if they’d been heckled all day.
“Oh yeah,” the officer said. “I’d be heckling us too.”
A group of players in the Valhalla locker room gathered and wondered what to do. Will Zalatoris said conversations were had about going to the PGA of America and halting the second round. A man had just died. And the top contender, the No. 1 player in the world, had been arrested.
“It was just bizarre,” Zalatoris said.
Even before Friday’s tragedy, Zalatoris thought the tournament was such a logistical mess that he told his parents not to come. “I’m not happy I was proven right,” he said. He said it’s taken him nearly an hour to get to the course each day despite staying just half a mile away, and Friday it was so bad he left his wife in the car and he, Cameron Young and Austin Eckroat walked the highway to reach the course. When they got there, the tournament workers didn’t know who they were or if they should be allowed in.
Two-time major champ Collin Morikawa, like Zalatoris and so many others, wanted to pause the conversation and remind everyone of the worst thing that happened Friday.
“It’s unfortunate for the person that did pass away earlier today,” Morikawa said. “I don’t think that’s getting talked about enough, or at all.”
And as Scheffler walked up to his packed news conference Friday afternoon, he took a deep breath and started talking about John Mills. He downplayed the interaction that led to his arrest, saying he couldn’t comment on it but it would get handled. Instead, he reflected on Mills’ family.
“I can’t imagine what they’re going through this morning,” Scheffler said. “One day he’s heading to the golf course to watch a tournament. A few moments later he’s trying to cross the street, and now he’s no longer with us. I can’t imagine what they’re going through. My heart — I feel for them. I’m sorry.”
Now there are two days left in the PGA Championship and Scheffler remains right in the mix for a second consecutive major victory. His legal issues will be waiting for him once the tournament is over. His arraignment is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday, according to online court records.
Scheffler tried to get back to his routine Friday afternoon, practicing a little with plans to go to the gym afterwards. His focus will be calming down from his strange Friday morning and trying to return to normal for the rest of the weekend. No more stretching in a jail cell.
(Photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
