Scottie Scheffler: World number one golfer detained and handcuffed by police near Valhalla as mugshot issued

World number one golfer Scottie Scheffler was detained and led in handcuffs by police ahead of the second round of the PGA Championship. According to reports, the 27-year-old American champion was arrested outside Valhalla Golf Club on Friday morning.

The incident occurred as the second round of the tournament was delayed due to a fatal accident near the club where a pedestrian was hit and killed by a shuttle bus outside the golf course. It is understood that Scheffler was detained as he was trying to avoid the scene, which was under traffic cordon.

According to the Daily Mail, officers reportedly asked him to stop his vehicle, only for Scheffler to keep driving around 10-20 yards, creating confusion among the police officers.

ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington, who witnessed the incident, said on air: “Traffic had been backed up and building, Scottie Scheffler tried to enter Valhalla Golf Club using a side median, at which point a police officer instructed him to stop.

“Scheffler attempted to continue to go, the police officer then attached himself to the side of Scheffler’s car. Scheffler stopped the vehicle as he turned into Valhalla Golf Club at the entrance, about 10 to 20 yards from the point at which the police officer first told him to stop.

“At that point the police officer instructed Scheffler to get out of the car. He rolled down the window, the police officer grabbed his arm and started pulling at it. He reached inside, opened the car door, pulled Scheffler out, pushed him up against the car, immediately placed him in handcuffs.”

A mugshot of Scheffler was later released by the Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections, which later showed he had been released after an hour and 12 minutes.

Darlington was entering the club around the same time and claims that - at one point - Scheffler looked at him and said: “Please help me.” It's claimed that Scheffler was unaware that the person he was dealing with was a police officer. 

Shortly before he was due to tee off, a statement was released on behalf of Scheffler on his social media account. Scheffler said: “This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers,” Scheffler. It was a very chaotic situation, understandably so considering the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and there was a big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do.

“I never intended to disregard any of the instructions.  I’m hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today. Of course, all of us involved in the tournament express our deepest sympathies to the family of the man who passed away in the earlier accident this morning.  It truly puts everything in perspective.”