We've wrapped up our live coverage of Scottie Scheffler's arrest and the PGA Championship. Scroll through the posts below for more.
World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler arrested outside PGA Championship
By Adrienne Vogt, Matt Meyer and Tori B. Powell, CNN
Updated 5:10 PM ET, Fri May 17, 2024
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Scheffler calls morning arrest "chaotic" and a "misunderstanding"
From CNN's David Close
World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler called his Friday morning arrest a "misunderstanding," adding that he was "rattled" after what transpired.
Scheffler said he was in shock when he was arrested.
"It was just a chaotic situation and a big misunderstanding," he told reporters.
He said at no point did he “name-drop” his name to police officers and said he cannot comment "on any of the specifics" of the arrest. He added that he stretched and tried to mentally prepare for his second round while in jail.
Scheffler also expressed sympathies to the family of the person who died outside the course earlier on Friday.
Scheffler currently sits in a tie for third place at nine-under par for the tournament.
Louisville police say they are still gathering information regarding Scheffler arrest
From CNN's Amanda Musa
The Louisville Metro Police Department issued its first statement on Friday afternoon after this morning’s arrest of pro golfer Scottie Scheffler at the PGA Championship, saying the agency was still investigating.
"We are still in the process of gathering information and investigating what transpired today. At about 5:07 this morning, in front of Gate 2 at Valhalla Golf Club, a pedestrian was fatally struck by a shuttle bus. LMPD expresses its sincere condolences to the family of the individual who died as a result of that collision. All lanes of traffic at the scene were closed while the fatality investigation occurred. LMPD personnel were also directing traffic around the scene," it said.
"While an officer was directing traffic, an encounter with a motorist attempting to make entry into a restricted area ultimately led to the driver being arrested. We are in the process of conducting a thorough investigation. We are appreciative that all parties involved are fully cooperating,” the department continued.
According to a Louisville Metro Police report obtained earlier, Scheffler was trying to gain access to the golf course when he was stopped by an officer. “Subject refused to comply and accelerated forward, dragging Detective (Bryan) Gillis to the ground,” the report stated.
Scheffler said earlier Friday in a statement that the arrest was the result of a "big misunderstanding" during a "very chaotic situation," and his attorney has said he will plead not guilty.
Scheffler shoots stellar second round at PGA Championship following arrest
From CNN's Kevin Dotson
World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler completed his second round at the PGA Championship Friday, shooting a 5-under par 66 and climbing the leaderboard, where he currently sits in a tie for third place at nine-under par for the tournament.
The strong round came hours after Scheffler was arrested and charged with a felony and other counts Friday morning outside Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, after police say he tried to drive around the scene of a fatal crash.
Scheffler recorded six birdies and one bogey on his round. The two-time major winner and reigning Masters champion is seeking his first career PGA Championship win.
The 27-year-old became a father for the first time earlier this month.
Remember: In golf, competitors are trying to complete each hole in the fewest strokes possible. Par refers to the number of strokes a golfer is expected to take to complete a hole. A birdie means the golfer took one fewer stroke than par, while a bogey means they took one extra.
Scheffler is edging closer to the lead
From Jack Bantock
It’s been a day unlike any other for Scottie Scheffler, who started the morning in police custody, but the world No. 1 has been typically unflappable on the course.
Having started from the 10th hole, a fourth birdie of the round at the par-four 14th lifted the American to within one stroke of a trio of his compatriots atop the leaderboard: Xander Schauffele, Mark Hubbard and Collin Morikawa.
Scheffler struck a brilliant approach some 57 yards, leaving him with a simple putt from within 4 feet for his third birdie in a five-hole stretch.
Scheffler's strong play has kept him within a few strokes of Morikawa for the lead as the afternoon goes on, despite a dominant stretch of five consecutive birdies from the world No. 13.
Scheffler had started the day five shots behind round one leader Schauffele, who just teed off to begin his second day of play.
This post has been updated to reflect Morikawa and Scheffler's latest results.
Scheffler has kept low profile while dominating his sport
From CNN's Jack Bantock
Scottie Scheffler is a man well-accustomed to making global headlines, but almost never for events beyond the confines of the golf course.
The extraordinary scenes that saw the world No.1 arrested outside Kentucky’s Valhalla Golf Club were rendered even more remarkable given his background.
The golfer, a new father, has been dominating his sport in unassuming fashion.
A devout Christian, he once said he played the sport because he was “trying to glorify God.” The 27-year-old is the favorite to win the PGA Championship this weekend and arguably not since Tiger Woods in his prime has a player been so superior on the course.
But as recently as 2022, he still drove a Chevrolet Suburban he's had since college and counted his home in Dallas as his flashiest purchase.
“I feel like I live two separate lives. I have my life when I’m out here on the road and you’re playing golf in front of people and I’ve got to do interviews and stuff like that. But then when I go home and I go about my life, golf’s not really that crazy of a popular sport. It’s not like I’m quarterback for the (Dallas) Cowboys or anything like that," he told CNN in March.
“So living life around home is pretty easy for us. Not much has really changed on the home front. But out here, yeah, things have changed a significant amount,” he added.
Keep reading about Scheffler's life and meteoric rise in the golf world.
PGA of America says it is cooperating with authorities
From CNN's David Close
The PGA of America, organizers of the ongoing PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, released a statement on the arrest of Scottie Scheffler Friday morning and the fatal accident of a worker outside the course.
"Our primary concern today remains with the family of John Mills, who lost his life in a tragic accident early this morning while reporting to work.
As it relates to the incident involving Scottie Scheffler, we are fully cooperating as local authorities review what took place," according to the statement.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg has also released a statement, sending condolences to Mills' family and stating that the city's police department is investigating the incident with Scheffler.
CNN’s Gabe Cohen contributed reporting to this post.
Scheffler's attorney says golfer will plead not guilty and "litigate this matter as needed"
From CNN’s Amanda Musa and Tanika Gray
Scottie Scheffler’s attorney, Steven Romines, told CNN in a statement Friday that Scheffler was headed to the golf course to prepare for his tee time at the PGA Championship.
“Due to the combination of event traffic and a traffic fatality in the area, it was a very chaotic situation. He was proceeding as directed by another traffic officer and driving a marked player’s vehicle with credentials visible,” Romines said. “In the confusion, Scottie is alleged to have disregarded a different officer’s traffic signals resulting in these charges.”
Romines said multiple eyewitnesses have confirmed that Scheffler “did not do anything wrong” but was driving as directed.
“He stopped immediately upon being directed to and never at any point assaulted any officer with his vehicle,” according to the statement. “We will plead not guilty and litigate this matter as needed.”
Romines earlier told CNN affiliate WLKY that there was a "miscommunication" and Scheffler was unaware of a fatal accident that happened outside the course.
CNN’s Eric Levenson contributed reporting to this post.
Scheffler accelerated toward uniformed officer, dragging him to the ground, according to police report
From CNN’s Amanda Musa and Tanika Gray
Pro golfer Scottie Scheffler dragged a uniformed officer to the ground after attempting to drive past the scene of an accident Friday morning, according to a Louisville Metro Police Department report obtained by CNN affiliate WLKY.
Scheffler was trying to gain access to the golf course when he was stopped by an officer wearing a full police uniform and a yellow reflective rain jacket, the report says. The officer, identified as Detective Bryan Gillis, stopped Scheffler and tried to give instructions.
“Subject refused to comply and accelerated forward, dragging Detective Gillis to the ground,” the report states.
The detective experienced pain, swelling and abrasions to his left wrist and knee, and was taken to the hospital for further treatment, the report adds.
Scheffler was charged with felony second-degree assault on a police officer, along with lesser charges of third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from officers directing traffic, according to Jefferson County court records. He has since been released from custody.
What Scheffler has said: The golfer said in a statement earlier Friday that he didn't mean to disregard instructions and that it had been a "big misunderstanding" in the "chaotic situation" surrounding the crash investigation.
CNN’s Eric Levenson contributed reporting to this post.