World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler opens up for the first time about his controversial arrest outside a Kentucky golf course during the PGA Championship, describing it as a "fairly traumatic" incident.
World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler has spoken out for the first time since charges against him were dropped stemming from a bizarre arrest outside a Kentucky golf course during the PGA Championship.
Scheffler was arrested on May 18, 2024, while attempting to enter Valhalla Golf Club before his second round of the tournament. He was charged with public intoxication, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. The charges were later dropped by Louisville Metro Police, but the incident left a lasting mark on Scheffler.
"To be honest with you, it's not something I love reliving, just because it was fairly traumatic for me being arrested going into the golf course," Scheffler told reporters at Muirfield Village Golf Club ahead of the Memorial Tournament this week. "It was definitely a bit of a relief, but not total relief because that's something that will always kind of stick with me. That mug shot, I'm sure is not going anywhere anytime soon."
Scheffler's arrest became a major news story and the subject of countless memes and jokes on social media. The golfer admitted that the mugshot, in particular, has been a source of embarrassment.
"It's just something that I'll never be able to get away from," Scheffler said. "It's something that I'll have to live with for the rest of my life."
Despite the ordeal, Scheffler has been able to maintain his focus on golf and has continued to play at a high level. He finished tied-second at the Charles Schwab Challenge the week after his arrest and is currently in contention at the Memorial Tournament.
Scheffler said he is still trying to process what happened and hopes that, over time, the incident will become a distant memory.
"I think that's part of the recovery process from the whole scenario, is your brain tries to figure out how this happened, and I will probably never figure out why or how this happened," Scheffler said. "But it's just one of those deals that it will always be kind of ingrained in my season this year. But with time, people will forget."
The incident has also raised questions about the conduct of the Louisville Metro Police Department. Scheffler's attorney, Steve Romines, said that he believes the police overreacted and that the charges against Scheffler were not justified.
"I think the whole thing could have been handled better," Romines said. "I think the police department could have been more professional."
The Louisville Metro Police Department has not commented on the incident.
