Charges were dropped, but the memory of arrest lives on for Scottie Scheffler.
Scottie Scheffler knows hisjail mug shotthat went viral on social media is here to stay.
The world’s No. 1-ranked golfer is relieved charges were dropped last week following his May 17 arrest for atraffic incident at the PGA Championshipin Louisville, Kentucky. Scheffler was handcuffed and briefly jailed after a Louisville police officer claimed the golfer failed to stop his SUV when ordered to do so. The officer claimed he was dragged and injured by Scheffler’s vehicle.
But while relieved, Scheffler said Tuesday at Muirfield Village Golf Club that having the charges dropped was “kind of only the beginning of kind of getting past it.”
Friends and golf fans now feel freed up to ask Scheffler about the traffic incident.
“I’m hoping to get there (to normalcy), but it’s almost more appropriate for people to … make jokes about it and stuff like that,” he said.
Even if he never has to answer another question about the arrest outside the gates of Valhalla Golf Club, Scheffler said the trauma will always be only a flashback away.
“That’s something that will always, I think, kind of stick with me,” he said. “That mug shot, I’m sure, is not going anywhere anytime soon.”
Scottie Scheffler with his caddie Ted Scott during the final round of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club. (Matt Stone-USA TODAY Sports)
The Memorialis Scheffler’s first tournament since thecharges were dropped, but he said the chaos has not negatively impacted his golf.
“When it comes to on the golf course, I’m always prepared to go out and play,” he said. “Even after I got arrested I went out on Friday and had a good round of golf. … No matter what the circumstances are off the course, if I’m showing up at a tournament it’s not some sort of ceremonial deal. I’m here to play.”
His record at Muirfield is impressive. In three appearances he has two third-place finish and a tie for 22nd.
Scheffler’s attorney, Steve Romines, was prepared to seek legal action against the Louisville Police Department if the case had gone to court.
“If we needed to use it, I think Steve was more than ready … just because there was a ton of evidence in our favor,” Scheffler said. “There were eyewitnesses on the scene that corroborated my story. All the evidence pointed to exactly what my side of the story was.
“But at the end of the day, I did not want to have to pursue legal action against Louisville, because the people of Louisville are then going to have to pay for the mistakes of their police department, and that just doesn’t seem right.”
Going through what he did in Louisville does not change his perspective on the criminal justice system or whether he would now think twice about assuming someone is guilty of a crime.
“I try to believe people are innocent until proven guilty,” he said. “So when someone is accused of something … I try not to see people for kind of their bad sides. Just because somebody’s accused of something doesn’t mean they actually did it, or maybe they did do it and maybe they just made a mistake.
Scheffler’s attorney previously said in a statement his client is not interested in negotiating a plea deal with the attorney’s office.
Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell will address allegations against Scottie Scheffler in court Wednesday, according to a statement from his office.
The statement did not provide further details on what will be covered during Wednesday’s appearance. A spokesperson from O’Connell’s office said he would have no additional comment prior to the hearing.
Scheffler, the top-ranked golfer in the world, was arrested by a Louisville Metro Police detective for allegedly injuring him with his car outside Valhalla Golf Club on May 17. Scheffler faces charges of second-degree assault, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic, according to his arrest citation. Second-degree assault is classified as a Class C felony in Kentucky.
Scottie Scheffler arrives at the course after being detained by police before the second round of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club. (Photo: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
Scheffler will not be present at the hearing, following an agreement between the parties and the permission of the court, the release stated. His arraignment is set for June 3, according to court records.
Scheffler’s attorney, Steve Romines, previously said in a statement his client is not interested in negotiating a plea deal with the attorney’s office.
“I am prepared to litigate as needed and the case will be dismissed, or we will go to trial because Scottie did absolutely nothing wrong,” Romines said.
LMPD alleged Scheffler “refused to comply and accelerated forward, dragging Detective Gillis to the ground.”
The Louisville Metro Police Department has scheduled an 11:30 a.m. press conference to discuss the May 17 incident outside Valhalla Golf Club that led to the arrest of professional golfer Scottie Scheffler ahead of the second round of the PGA Championship, according to reporting done by the Louisville Courier-Journal.
According to an arrest citation, Scheffler was driving eastbound in a marked PGA player vehicle toward Gate 1 when he pulled into a westbound lane, “where outbound traffic was flowing,” to bypass the backup caused by an earlier fatal collision.
LMPD Detective Bryan Gillis was “in the middle of the westbound lanes, in full uniform and a hi-visibility yellow reflective rain jacket,” when he stopped Scheffler and “attempted to give instructions,” the citation said.
LMPD alleged Scheffler “refused to comply and accelerated forward, dragging Detective Gillis to the ground. Detective Gillis suffered pain, swelling and abrasions to his left wrist and knee.”
Scheffler, who has since called the incident a “big misunderstanding,” and competed in the tournament later that day, is charged with second-degree assault of a police officer — a felony that carries years of prison time — as well as third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic.
Scottie Scheffler’s arrest drew eyeballs to coverage of the PGA Championship, and the ratings benefitted.
Scottie Scheffler being booked on suspicion of second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic brought eyeballs and a spike in viewership to the broadcast of the 106th PGA Championship.
CBS reported an 11-percent viewership increase for the final round of the PGA Championship on Sunday at Valhalla Golf Club. CBS averaged just under 5 million viewers, up from 4.5 million last year when Brooks Koepka won by two shots at Oak Hill. (It’s still the second-lowest rating in the last five years.)
Scheffler, the world No. 1 and reigning Masters champion, was detained early Friday morning before his second-round tee time after trying to drive into the entrance of Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. The assault charge is a felony; the others are misdemeanors.
News of Scheffler’s arrest went viral and included firsthand reporting by ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, who witnessed Scheffler attempt to enter the club and a police officer attach himself to the vehicle.
ESPN’s live telecast of the second round of the PGA Championship on May 17 averaged 1.6 million viewers, an increase of 18 percent in audience compared to the second-round coverage in 2023.
Friday’s telecast, which ran from noon until 8 p.m. ET, peaked at 2 million viewers during the 6-6:15 p.m. quarter hour. Last year’s second-round telecast averaged 1.369 million viewers.
Also on Friday, the ESPN BET at the PGA Championship alternate telecast on ESPN2 averaged 323,000 viewers between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., up from 164,000 average viewers during the first round Thursday.
The PGA Championship with No Laying Up alternate telecast that aired on ESPN2 from 1-3 p.m. averaged 155,000 viewers, up from 89,000 average viewers Thursday.
TV ratings of PGA Tour events have been down significantly for the year. The Masters, which Scheffler captured by four strokes, was down 20 percent to an average of 9.59 million viewers. The Tour has been plagued by bad weather, such as the cancellation of the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and by several lesser-known winners (Matthieu Pavon, Jake Knapp). Another pressing concern: Tour-LIV fatigue.
Perhaps all CBS needed was a photo finish between Xander Schauffele, the player formerly wearing the label of best player never to win a major, and LIV showman Bryson DeChambeau. Either that, or more likely the world No. 1 being photographed in an orange jumpsuit for his mug shot before shooting 66 gave golf a bump. Regardless, it’s a positive for the networks, who have been taking it on the chin this season.
I’m a retired police officer. The aggressive arrest of PGA golfer takes the cake.
I was a police officer in Canada for 37 years. When I watched the arrest of Scottie Scheffler and followed the details made available I was shocked. With the limited details and no credible information provided by the police to support the need to arrest and charge any person under these circumstances, it is very suspect.
I do believe Scottie Sheffler’s explanation as to what his intentions were that morning. There is no way this guy was trying to break the law. From what info has surfaced to date publicly, my take is that the arresting officer over reacted to some guy not really understanding the chaotic situation. The reporter on the scene gave a pretty good description of a police officer getting overly aggressive and then having to find a way to save face. Well I would say he will not save face and will be lucky to save his job. I usually do not comment on over aggressive police action, but this takes the cake.
— Ron Nause, Canada
No body cam footage of the PGA golfer arrest? So much for Greenberg’s ‘world class city.’
Mayor Craig Greenberg gave a breakdown of the Scottie Scheffler arrest at the PGA tournament and it was very confusing to say the least, he said he wasn’t sure if the detective was wearing a body cam or just didn’t have it turned on. I thought the chief of police answered to the mayor and you would think the mayor would consult with the chief before making any comments.
It is very suspicious that it appears when there is a he-said-they-said incident, the body cam wasn’t turned on. The body cams the police department were furnished by the tax payers were very expensive and they were furnished for a purpose, and if the officer had his body cam turned on the citizens of Louisville wouldn’t be wondering who is right and who is wrong. Maybe if the Louisville Metro Police Department had a policy of two days off without pay if they didn’t have their body cams on they wouldn’t forget.
—Larry Warner, 40299
Valhalla or Va-ha-ha?
Looks like every time Louisville tries to portray itself as that “World Class City” we always hear about, we blow it. Golf course? How about using the land for a tow in lot and affordable housing?
I know the answer to that. Not in my backyard!
—Samuel L Osborne, 40205
Now no body cam footage?
What kind of cop grabs onto a car to get a supposed suspect? It’s a power hungry one. Then, they charge the driver with a felony. The cops clearly didn’t have control of the situation, just total incompetence. The cop didn’t have his body cam on as required by LMPD policy, so he can make up any story he wants. He needs to be fired, pronto. I’m staying out of Louisville.
Scheffler in unsure if he must attend arraignment scheduled for Tuesday at 9 a.m. ET in Louisville.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Those who followed Scottie Scheffler on Sunday at the 2024 PGA Championship were served an excellent round of club with a side of open mic night at the Louisville Comedy Club off Main Street.
Yells of “Free Scottie!” and variations of “Look out! There are two police officers right there” or “He’s the man in blue, get him, officer!” were heard on every hole out at Valhalla Golf Club in the final round of the second men’s major of the year. The officers who have walked with Scheffler inside the ropes the last few days have been able to brush off the amateur jokers, while Scheffler claims he hardly heard any.
“I think when you’re out there inside the ropes, I don’t really hear too much of it. It’s nice to hear your name. I heard a lot of “Scottie” chants. I didn’t hear too many of the “free Scottie” chants, but I definitely heard a lot of “Scottie” chants,” said Scheffler, who must be able to block out the word free. “Like I said, it’s great to have the support of the fans. Being able to play out here in front of them week in, week out is one of the greatest joys of my life for sure. So being able to do that this week and play another major championship, it was fun. Obviously the results weren’t what I was hoping for at the beginning of the week, but overall I’m proud of how I fought this week.”
After a 2-over 73 on Saturday, his first over-par performance in 42 rounds so far this year, Scheffler bounced back with his best showing of the week, a superb 6-under 65 that featured just one bogey on the first hole. Scheffler walked off the course at 13 under for the tournament, T-8 on the leaderboard.
“It was obviously not what I was hoping for going into the week, but overall I’m proud of how I fought this week, and excited to get home and get ready for next week,” he said. But how soon will he be able to get back to Texas? Following his wild arrest on Friday morning before his second-round tee time that led to four charges, including a felony, Scheffler has an arraignment set for Tuesday at 9 a.m. ET. He’s also scheduled to play next week’s 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club near his home in Dallas.
“I think it’s all up in the air. I’m not really sure what the next days have in store,” Scheffler said of his sticky situation. “I think I’m able to get home tonight, but we’ll see when I leave here. I haven’t really had much chance to assess the situation off the course. I signed my card and then came straight over here. So we’ll see, but hopefully we’ll be able to get home tonight.”
For a 27-year-old with a clean history and laid back, private life, Scheffler has handled this week as well as could be expected. Four hours after his Friday arrest he shot a 5-under 66 and birdied two of his first three holes fresh out of a cell. His Saturday 73 could have easily been chalked up to the gravity of his situation finally setting in after the adrenaline wore off, or the fact he was without his caddie and good friend Ted Scott, who left the tournament for a day to attend his daughter’s high school graduation. When asked what was different between Saturday and Sunday, Scheffler didn’t take the easy out.
“I think I would attribute it mostly to a bad day. I think when you come out here to compete, you’re out here competing, you’re doing what you can throughout the course of the round to post a score and I wasn’t able to get that done yesterday,” he explained. “Did I feel like myself? Absolutely not. Was my warm-up the way it usually is and the distractions were they normally are? Absolutely not. But I’m not going to sit here and say that’s why I went out and played a bad round of golf yesterday.”
“Yesterday obviously was quite frustrating and a bit of a different day, but overall proud of how I fought this week,” Scheffler added. “Was fortunate to be out here competing, doing what I love.”
If Scheffler thought he had fan support this week, just wait until his fellow Texans rally around him in Fort Worth. That is, assuming he’s able to tee it up. No Laying Up’s Kevin Van Valkenburg reported Sunday morning that Jefferson County prosecutors are planning to drop the charges against Scheffler early next week.
Whatever spicy side dishes the PGA Tour needs (and they do), they’ll have to source elsewhere.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It was during the 82nd PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club a couple dozen years ago that Stuart Appleby was asked what he’d need to shoot to have a chance to win.
“Tiger Woods,” he replied.
Most of those competing at the 106th edition this week can relate to the sentiment, even if the name has changed. Scottie Scheffler’s intimidation factor isn’t grounded just in wins—four in his last five starts, missing a putt to force a playoff in the one he didn’t claim. Nor is it based on a performance ledger that boasts so many “1’s” you’d assume it’s written in binary code: 1st in Strokes Gained Total, 1st Off the Tee and in Approach, 1st Tee-to-Green and Greens in Regulation, in Birdie Average, in Scoring Average, in FedEx Cup points, in official money ($18,693,235 and counting). He’s probably 1st in the Father of the Year race too, despite having only entered 10 days ago with the birth of his first child, a son named Bennett.
Many athletes have been temporarily thrown for a loop by parenthood, willing to pay a fortune to stay home or have a decent night’s sleep. Scheffler played twice amid feverish speculation about whether he’d withdraw if his wife, Meredith, went into labor. He won both, including the Masters. The PGA Championship is his first start since Bennett arrived. He opened Thursday morning by holing his second shot for eagle on the first hole and went on to card a 67.
Strike fatherhood from the list of things rivals hoped could disrupt Scheffler’s perfectly calibrated life balance.
What Bennett didn’t do, surely the Louisville Metro Police Department could. On Friday morning, a cop handcuffed Scheffler after an apparent misunderstanding at the entrance of Valhalla when he attempted to navigate around a traffic stop caused by an unrelated fatal accident. It was a surreal incident for a man who has probably been no closer to prison than watching Shawshank Redemption. For a time, it seemed certain to derail his bid for a single-season slam, either by a missed tee time or a rattled performance. Instead, he teed off shortly after arriving at the course, birdied his opening hole and shot 66.
Guys in the locker room can strike prison time from the list too, and when that doesn’t work you know there ain’t much left.
Saturday finally saw a chink in the armor. For the third round, Scheffler was without Ted Scott, the caddie who has been on the bag for all 10 of his PGA Tour wins, who was attending his daughter’s high school graduation. Without his regular sherpa, Scheffler turned to Brad Payne, the PGA Tour chaplain.
Changing caddies is a delicate matter for Tour players, even for a day. The cadence of a relationship is impossible to replicate and difficult to replace, even with friends. Payne previously caddied on Tour, so he wasn’t present for just support without illumination, even if his days now are spent trying to save souls rather than strokes.
Scottie Scheffler smiles while waiting to tee off on the fourth hole during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Valhalla Golf Club. (Photo: Matt Stone-USA TODAY Sports)
Scheffler was off all day. He double-bogeyed the 2nd hole, added bogeys at the 3rd and 4th. Three birdies over the next 10 holes were each followed by a dropped shot. He shot 73 and is far off the lead. His hopes for the grand slam are extinguished.
This was a week that didn’t so much change perceptions of Scheffler as reinforce them, even with the mug shot in an orange jumpsuit. Because this was a very Scottie Scheffler scandal. No punches were thrown, no stimulants were involved, and as best we know there weren’t even terse words exchanged. In the aftermath, he hit the right notes. He faced the media, didn’t dodge questions, shared his version of events with humility and humor, and repeatedly expressed sympathy to the family of John Mills, the tournament worker killed in the accident that set events in motion.
While golf likes to contort itself to noble postures, sport is as much about rooting against competitors one dislikes as for those one likes. But the PGA Tour is suffering from a personality deficit since all of the prickly guys were poached by LIV. That’s a gap Scheffler can’t and won’t fill. He’ll never be a guy that folks hate. Heck, he might not even be a guy they love. Mostly just someone they like and admire, even those who don’t cotton to talk about faith. He’s a solid citizen, sober, courteous, thoughtful—basically the type of chap any parent would like their daughter (or son) to bring home.
Whatever spicy side dishes the PGA Tour needs (and they do), they’ll have to source elsewhere. Scheffler is destined to be written up more often in his church bulletin than in the National Enquirer. This week is the exception that proves the rule.
“The officer did not have body cam footage turned on during the incident,” Mayor Greenberg said on Saturday.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said there isn’t any body camera footage of the incident involving Scottie Scheffler and Louisville Metropolitan Police Detective Bryan Gillis on Friday morning that led to the world No. 1’s arrest ahead of the second round of the 2024 PGA Championship.
“The officer did not have body cam footage turned on during the incident,” Greenberg said. “We will release footage that we have … to my knowledge, we have not yet discovered any video of the initial contact between Officer Gillis and Mr. Scheffler.”
Greenberg wasn’t certain whether Det. Gillis was wearing a body cam at the time of the incident, but did note that “fixed camera” footage from across the street will be released in the coming days. The mayor declined to comment on whether or not there have been discussions about dismissing any charges against Scheffler.
“Right now, the case is in the hands of our county attorney, and I will let the legal process play out,” said Greenberg.
Scheffler, 27, is facing the following four charges: Assault in the second degree of a police officer (a felony), criminal mischief in the third degree, reckless driving and disregarding signals from officers directing traffic. His arraignment has been scheduled for 9 a.m. ET on Tuesday, May 21.
Scheffler was booked at 7:28 a.m. ET, released from custody at 8:40 a.m. ET and arrived at Valhalla Golf Club at 9:15 a.m. ET. According to a PGA of America source on site, Scheffler was personally escorted to the club by an owner of Valhalla and made his 10:08 a.m. ET tee time by less than an hour. The two-time major champion then shot a 5-under 66 to move into T-4 on the leaderboard at 9 under.
The arrest citation, obtained by USA TODAY Sports, claimed that Det. Gillis was dressed in his full LMPD uniform and was wearing a reflective rain jacket when he stopped Scheffler and attempted to give him instructions. The report claims Scheffler “refused to comply and accelerated forward,” dragged Det. Gillis to the ground, injured him and damaged his uniform pants “beyond repair.” Det. Gillis was taken to the hospital for further treatment after he allegedly suffered pain, swelling and abrasions to his left wrist and knee.
The incident occurred after a man, John Mills of Crestwood, Kentucky, was involved in a fatal accident with a shuttle bus around 5 a.m. ET on the road that leads to Valhalla Golf Club. Mills was working security for this week’s championship.
But after being handcuffed, fingerprinted and having his mug shot taken, he was released on his own recognizance and went out and made six birdies to shoot 5-under 66 at Valhalla Golf Club.
Scheffler was so locked in during his second round of the 2024 PGA Championship you never would have known he was locked up just hours before his tee time.
Scheffler was booked on suspicion at 7:28 a.m. ET, released at 8:40 a.m. ET and finally made it to the course less than an hour before his tee time. He walked off the course at 9 under, T-3 on the leaderboard, and trailing only leader Collin Morikawa among those in the clubhouse. Scheffler conceded it wasn’t easy but after a couple of holes he was able to get into his bubble.
“Coming out here and trying to play today was definitely a challenge, but I did my best to control my mind, control my breathing,” he said. “As far as best rounds of my career, I would say it was pretty good.”
Scottie Scheffler putts on the 11th green during the second round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club. (Photo: Clare Grant/Louisville Courier Journal)
That may be the understatement of the year. When Scheffler arrived at the 10th tee, his first hole of the day, the crowd erupted in a chant of Scott-Tee! Scott-Tee! There were shouts of “Free Scottie” as well as cracks of how well he was playing with an ankle bracelet, whether golf was his work-release program and some supporters with a little extra time on their hands made mug shot T-shirts before heading to the course. Overall, the reigning Masters champion was treated to a new level of love that was reminiscent of a home Ryder Cup.
“I didn’t really know what the reception would be like,” he said. “I felt like they were cheering extra loud for me today. I really do. I know sometimes you can’t really see it on my face, but I really do enjoy playing in front of the fans.”
Despite all the distractions and a limited warm-up, Scheffler birdied two of his first three holes (with his lone bogey in between) and was in control of his round from start to finish. He added circles to his scorecard on Nos. 18, 2, 4 and 7, and is once again in contention in a major coming off his 2024 Masters victory.
Scheffler was shaken to his core by the experience of being handcuffed and booked on suspicion at a police station. He said he shook uncontrollably for more than an hour and even after the round noted, “I feel like my head is still spinning. I can’t really explain what happened this morning.”
After being led away in handcuffs from his tournament-issued courtesy vehicle, Scheffler chatted with an officer in a police car on the way to the station, and said that helped settle his nerves. While he was waiting to be booked, he approached that same officer and asked him, “Hey, excuse me, can you just come hang out with me for a few minutes so I can calm down.”
Scheffler said he was never angry. He was just in shock.
“It was definitely a new feeling for me,” he said.
Fans watch golfer Scottie Scheffler on the the 17th green during the second round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club. (Photo: Matt Stone/Louisville Courier Journal)
Scheffler commended the officers at the police station and said that they made several jokes with him while he waited.
“This one older officer looked at me as I was doing my fingerprints or whatever, and he looks at me and he goes, ‘So do you want the full experience today?’ I kind of looked at him, and I was like, ‘I don’t know how to answer that.’ He’s like, ‘Come on, man, you want a sandwich?’ I was like, ‘Sure, I’ll take a sandwich.’ I hadn’t eaten breakfast yet. I mean, they were really kind,” he said.
Waiting in his cell, Scheffler could see himself being discussed on ESPN and could make out the time and that the start of the second round had been delayed, moving his tee time to 10:08 a.m. ET.
“I was like, well, maybe I could be able to get out,” he said. “I started going through my routine (including stretching) and I tried to get my heart rate down as much as I could.”
“My sympathies go out to the family of Mr. Mills,” Scheffler said at the start of his press conference. “I can’t imagine what they’re going through this morning. One day he’s heading to the golf course to watch a tournament. A few moments later he’s trying to cross the street, and now he’s no longer with us. I can’t imagine what they’re going through. My heart – I feel for them. I’m sorry.”
Scheffler is facing the following four charges: Assault in the second degree of a police officer, criminal mischief in the third degree, reckless driving and disregarding signals from officers directing traffic. He has retained local attorneys for the case and has an arraignment scheduled for 9 a.m. ET on Tuesday, May 21.
“My situation will get handled,” he said. “It was a chaotic situation and a big misunderstanding.”
During a steady rain, Scheffler recorded his 43 consecutive round of par or better dating to the Tour Championship in August. One week after the birth of his first child, the world No. 1 is seeking his fifth win in his last six starts and to become the first player since Jordan Spieth in 2015 to win the first two legs of the career Grand Slam. The last reigning Masters champion to win the PGA Championship was Jack Nicklaus, in 1975 at Firestone Country Club. Scheffler is well-positioned heading into the weekend at the PGA and it seems as if even the surreal circumstances of getting arrested hours before his tee time can’t stop Scheffler from breaking par.
“It was a very confusing and chaotic situation, but I did my best to just follow instructions and do as I was told as I was sitting there handcuffed,” Scheffler said. “I’m glad to be out here competing, doing what I love.”
It’s a trending hashtag, it’s a chant and it’s even a T-shirt for sale for $10 in the parking lot at Valhalla Golf Club at the 106th PGA Championship.
Taylor Farrell and Cole Turner, friends who drove in early Friday morning from Indiana to attend the second round, were stopping to pick up a friend at a hotel when news broke that Scottie Scheffler had been detained by police ahead of his morning tee time. The hotel happened to be next to a print shop so they downloaded images off the Internet and e-mailed them to a 64-year-old lady who made the shirts.
They weren’t the only ones. Some industrious entrepreneur arrived in the Valhalla Golf Club parking lot with a carload of shirts and was selling them for $10. One fan wearing a #FreeScottie shirt said he had another and offered to sell it for $20.
Good to see that American free enterprise is alive and well.
Others simply used a black Sharpie to a white shirt while one fan wore an orange jumpsuit amid his buddies and said of Scheffler, “We’re doing this in support of him. He’s one of the most humble people on the PGA Tour.”
On several holes of Scheffler’s opening nine, fans started a chant of Free Scottie and the message spread like wild fire much like the taunts at Patrick Cantlay and his refusal to wear a hat during the Ryder Cup in Rome. Only this time it was a Scottie lovefest. Indeed, the crowd had the feel of a home Ryder Cup and Scottie received a level of fandemonium the likes of which the world No. 1 and two-time Masters champion has never experienced.
Fans who did not want to be identified wore “Free Scottie” T-shirts to support Scottie Scheffler at the 2024 PGA Championship’s second round. (Photo: Matt Stone/Louisville Courier Journal)
There were several creative fans who did their best to get chuckles. Some of the best:
“Scottie, I need your lawyer”
“You play pretty good with an ankle bracelet on”
“Is this your work-release program?”
And to a group of cops assigned to monitor Scheffler’s threesome: “You guys going to let him get away with that?”
When one of the officers in Scheffler’s detail was asked if he was getting heckled, he shook his head in the affirmative and said, “But I’d heckle me.”
For all the chants and cracks and fans hoping for a reaction to their shirts from Scheffler as he walked by, the world No. 1 just kept his head down and stayed in his bubble.
Scottie is free and the fans at Valhalla loved him like never before.
