Charges that PGA golfer Scott Scheffler didn't follow police directions and assaulted a police officer before the final round of the tournament when an accident closed all lanes of traffic are expected to be dropped by Kentucky prosecutors, according to a post by No Laying Up on X.
Editorial Director Kevin Van Valkenburg posted Sunday that a source that is “familiar with the office’s thinking” said the charges against Scheffler should be dropped.
Scheffler was arrested on Friday morning after he encountered the aftermath of a fatal accident while driving to Valhalla Golf Club for his scheduled tee time.
Police accused Scheffler of disregarding their directions and dragging an officer who had grabbed onto his car down the road. The officer was hospitalized with minor injuries after the incident.
The official charges were second-degree felony assault of a police officer, reckless driving, disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic and criminal mischief, according to Yahoo Sports.
Scheffler's lawyer in the matter said that multiple eyewitnesses said Scheffler was following another police officer's directive when he pulled forward while the first officer was holding onto his car.
The lawyer, Steve Romines, added that Scheffler “stopped immediately upon being directed to and never at any point assaulted any officer with his vehicle.”
Scheffler was arrested just before 7:30 a.m., was taken to a local holding cell, and was released around 8:30 a.m., at which time he was driven back to the golf club for his tee time at 9 a.m.
He said that he didn't get to do his usual warmup routine, but that he played the round the best he could.
He shot five under par and finished three behind the eventual winner, Xander Schauffele.
Scheffler is the number one ranked golfer in the world, so the arrest might very well have cost him the championship.
“Unbelievable that he gets arrested and then goes out and shoots 66,” said Mark Hubbard, who tied Scheffler in the round. “You can’t stop him right now.”
Scheffler was not the only golfer who hit the snarled traffic coming into Valhalla.
He was the only one arrested, though.
