Prosecutors have agreed to drop all charges against pro golfer Scottie Scheffler, after the 27-year-old was arrested in Louisville, KY on May 17 prior to his second round of the 2024 PGA Championship. Scheffler was detained by authorities after he seemed to misunderstand the flow of traffic being diverted around a fatal bus crash in the early morning hours, and inadvertently attempted to drive past a police officer into the Valhalla Golf Club. Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell filed a motion to dismiss the charges on Wednesday, backing up Scheffler’s claim that the whole thing had been a “big misunderstanding” that had been “corroborated by the evidence.” The top ranked golfer had been accused of dragging the officer with his car, and was facing charges of second-degree felony assault, as well as misdemeanors charges of third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic. However, in newly-surfaced video of the arrest, Scheffler could be heard explaining that he mistook the officer for a club security guard, admitting that he had been little impatient because he was running late for tee time. Local reporter Terry Meiners was among the first to break the news that the charges against Scheffler would be dropped. “The agreement stipulates that both sides agree not to pursue any legal action related to the ramifications of the May 17 arrest,” Meiners posted to X Wednesday morning. NEW: Charges against Scottie Scheffler will be dropped today. The agreement stipulates that both sides agree not to pursue any legal action related to the ramifications of the May 17 arrest. pic.twitter.com/g5uYPfIFag — Terry Meiners ™️ (@terrymeiners) May 29, 2024 It’s unclear whether the incident affected Scheffler’s performance, who was eventually released from police custody before the start of his second-round tee time on the morning of his arrest, shooting an impressive 5-under 66. However, in the third round, Scheffler broke his streak with a two-over 73, finishing the tournament at 13-under par, tied for eighth place.
I feel like my head is still spinning,” Scheffler said following his performance on the day of his arrest. “I can’t really explain what happened this morning. I was pretty rattled to say the least. I was never angry. I was just in shock. I was shaking for like an hour. It was definitely a new feeling for me.”
