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Scottie Scheffler updates: World No. 1 looks unfazed on the course after Friday morning arrest
Scottie Scheffler’s reaction after hitting a birdie on the 12th hole during the second day of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club. Clare Grant/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Scottie Scheffler updates: World No. 1 looks unfazed on the course after Friday morning arrest

By Jack Dougherty  |  Last updated 5/17/24

Scottie Scheffler arrived at Valhalla Golf Club for his second round at the PGA Championship with a smile. You'd never know by his mannerisms that he spent the morning in a Louisville, Ky. police station facing a felony charge of second-degree assault of a police officer.

On Friday morning, Scheffler was arrested by Louisville Metro Police after driving around traffic outside Valhalla. According to Jeff Darlington of ESPN, Scheffler was trying to drive around a blockage when a police officer instructed him to stop. The police officer attached himself to the car as Scheffler drove another 10-20 yards. After stopping the car, Scheffler exited the vehicle and was immediately placed in handcuffs and detained in the back of a police cruiser. He faces charges of second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic.

Luckily for Scheffler, he was released without bail a short while later, and he made it back to Valhalla about an hour before his scheduled tee time. He was able to hit the range and get some short-game practice in before heading to the 10th tee at 10:08 a.m. ET. 

All eyes were on Scheffler as he stepped up to his opening tee shot after a wild, stressful morning that had him posing for a mugshot in an orange jumpsuit just a few hours before. He pushed his tee shot on the par-5 10th off to the right, forcing a layup back into the fairway. In his first test of the day, Scheffler stuck his 92-yard approach shot to three feet and made an easy birdie — because, of course, he did. 

The nerves got to Scheffler on the par-3 11th hole as he stumbled to a three-putt bogey from 37 feet. He got it right back on the par-4 12th, though, draining a 27-foot birdie putt to return to 1 under on the day and 5 under for the tournament. 

Somehow, the World No. 1 looks unfazed after a traumatizing start to his second round.

Update - 12:50 p.m. ET

After a birdie-bogey-birdie start to the round, Scheffler settled in and parred five straight holes. He hit an errant drive on the par-5 18th that missed to the right, but he recovered nicely to give himself a five-foot birdie putt — drained it. He's now 2 under through nine holes. 

Scheffler currently ranks eighth in the field in strokes gained from tee to green in the second round. He's normally at the top of that list by a wide margin, so maybe his hectic morning affects his play. Even with the uncharacteristic ball striking, Scheffler is still 6 under and tied for seventh place.

Update - 1:58 p.m. ET

The man is heating up! After a par on No. 1, Scheffler hit a beauty to six feet on the 485-yard par-4 second hole and knocked it in for birdie. He made a tough up-and-down par from the greenside bunker on No. 3, stuck it to three feet on the short par-4 fourth and drained his fifth birdie of the day.

Scheffler is now 8 under par for the tournament and only one shot back of the leader. So much for his hectic morning affecting his golf game. 

Update - 3:31 p.m. ET

Scheffler is inevitable. 

After spending the morning in a Kentucky police station, the World No. 1 fired a 5-under 66 to reach 9 under for the tournament. He's currently two back of leader Collin Morikawa and in position to win his second straight major championship.

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