World's #1 Golfer Scottie Scheffler Arrested Outside Major Tournament Hours Before Tee Time

Scottie Scheffler, the world's top-ranked golfer, was detained and booked early Friday morning.

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• The world's No. 1 golfer was detained by police just outside a tournament.
• Reports say Scottie Scheffler tried to drive around police into the golf station.
• He was handcuffed and booked in jail, hours before tee-time.

Scottie Scheffler, the world's top-ranked golfer, was arrested by police and booked in a Louisville jail early Friday morning, hours before tee time at a major tournament.

Kentucky jail records show Scheffler, 27, was ultimately released from custody just before the second round kicks off at the PGA Championship.

Video from the event shows Scheffler arriving at the golf course Friday morning.

ESPN reports that Scheffler was charged with second-degree assault of a police officer — a felony — and misdemeanor third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic.

According to ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington, Scheffler was detained after a "misunderstanding with traffic flow."

WDRB reported that a pedestrian was struck and killed by a shuttle bus outside the tournament at Valhalla Golf Club before Scheffler was arrested.

Traffic had been closed near the entrance of the golf course when Scheffler tried to drive in, the outlet reported.

Darlington reported that a cop screamed at Scheffler to get out of the car.

"When Scheffler exited the vehicle, the officer shoved Scheffler against the car and immediately placed him in handcuffs," Darlington wrote on X. "He is now being detained in the back of a police car."

In a statement to Darlington later Friday morning after he was released, Scheffler said it was a "chaotic situation" outside the golf course and that he was following officers' instructions.

"There was a big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do," he said. "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," Scheffler continued. "It truly puts everything in perspective."

Scheffler's attorney, Steven Romines, told local station WDRB that the golf star "didn't know what was going on."

"There are eyewitnesses that he did nothing wrong," Romines told WDRB. 

Romines and Louisville police didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.