Scottie Schefflerthe world's top golfer, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault on a police officer and reckless driving following a chaotic incident just before the PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, early Friday morning.
Scheffler was released without bail inside hours and returned to tee off second round of the tournament At the Valhalla Golf Club. He shot a 66, five under par, and moved to fourth place on the leaderboard after starting the day in a tie for twelfth.
According to an ESPN reporter who witnessed the incident, the 27-year-old golfer was arrested after he drove on a median toward the club's entrance and initially did not obey an officer's order to stop.
Traffic outside the doorway was diverted right now after a person hit and killed earlier within the day with a shuttle bus.
A report from the Louisville Metro Police Department states that around 6:16 a.m. ET, Scheffler become the oncoming lane to avoid traffic and gain access to the golf course.
A Louisville police detective in uniform and a high-visibility rain jacket stopped Scheffler and attempted to offer him instructions, however the golfer “refused to comply and accelerated forward at a slow pace.” [the officer] to the bottom,” the report says.
Detective Bryan Gillis “suffered pain, swelling and abrasions to his left wrist and knee” and was taken to a hospital, according to the report obtained by NBC affiliate WAVE3 in Louisville.
“Detective Gillis’ uniform pants, valued at approximately $80, were damaged beyond repair,” the report states.
Scheffler, who won his second Masters tournament last month, said in a statement released shortly before his scheduled tee time Friday morning that the incident was the result of a “big misunderstanding.”
“This morning I acted as instructed by the police officers. It was a very chaotic situation, understandably given the tragic accident that had occurred before,” Scheffler said in a post on his official website Instagram account.
“There was a big misunderstanding about what I thought was being asked of me,” he said. “I never intended to disobey any of the instructions. I hope I can put that aside and focus on golf today.”
The Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections website showed Scheffler was arraigned at 7:28 a.m. ET.
The booking information initially listed charges of second-degree assault on a law enforcement officer – a felony – as well as third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and failure to obey signals of an officer directing traffic.
According to WAVE3, Scheffler was released from the Louisville facility shortly before 9 a.m. ET without bail.
“We just let everything take its course, that's the extent of what we know. It's moving pretty quickly right now, but we'll hear the case as soon as it comes,” Scheffler's attorney Steve Romines told reporters after the golfer's release.
In a statement to CNBC, Romines said Scheffler drove to the golf course to begin preparations for the preliminary round and to proceed “as directed by another traffic officer.”
“It was a very chaotic situation due to the combination of event traffic and a traffic fatality in the area,” Romines said.
“In the confusion, Scottie is alleged to have disregarded another officer's traffic signals, which led to these charges,” the attorney said, adding, “Multiple eyewitnesses have confirmed that he did nothing wrong, but simply proceeded as instructed.”
“He stopped immediately when asked to do so and at no time did he attack an officer with his vehicle,” Romines said.
Scheffler, who has won 4 of the last five tournaments he has began, teed off the tenth hole just after 10:08 a.m. ET on the second day of the championship. He arrived at Valhalla Golf Club around 9:10 a.m. ET, giving him lower than an hour to arrange.
The PGA Tour and PGA of America referred CNBC to Scheffler's statement when asked for comment on his arrest.
ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington said Friday morning that he saw Scheffler “being arrested by police officers and placed in handcuffs in the back seat of a police vehicle after trying to get around what he believed to be security guards “.
“When he failed to stop, the officer clung to the vehicle. Scheffler then traveled another 10 yards before stopping the car,” Darlington said on ESPN’s “SportsCenter.”
“The officer then grabbed his arm and attempted to drag him out of the automobile before Scheffler finally opened the door, at which point the officer pulled Scheffler out of the automobile, pushed him against the automobile and immediately handcuffed him,” Darlington said.
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