The golf world was stunned this morning as Scottie Scheffler, reigning Masters champion and the top-ranked player in the world, was detained by police on his way to the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club. The incident occurred during a police investigation into a pedestrian fatality.
Early Friday morning, traffic was heavily backed up near the entrance to Valhalla Golf Club due to a tragic accident in which a pedestrian was struck and killed by a bus in a lane designated for tournament traffic. Amid this chaotic scene, Scheffler, driving a PGA Championship-marked SUV, was stopped by police after failing to follow their orders.
Eyewitnesses reported that an officer screamed at Scheffler to stop his vehicle, eventually detaining him about 10 yards later. Scheffler, visibly stunned, was handcuffed and led to a police car. Jeff Darlington of ESPN, who witnessed the incident, described the scene as rapidly escalating, with Scheffler appearing confused and pleading for help.
The Louisville Metro police later confirmed the pedestrian fatality, stating the individual was pronounced dead at the scene. The accident led to a delay in the start of the second round of the PGA Championship, with tee times pushed back by over an hour.
Despite the dramatic incident, Scheffler remains focused on the tournament. He opened with a 4-under 67 and is five shots out of the lead. The golfing community is rallying around him as he strives to become only the fifth player since 1960 to win the first two majors of the year.