After being arrested ahead of the second round of the PGA Championship, Scottie Scheffler was released and arrived at Valhalla Golf Club ahead of his scheduled tee time. ESPN’s Marty Smith asked Scheffler about the May 17, 2024 incident upon his arrival for the second round of the major tournament.
“I love you, Marty,” Scheffler said when walking into the venue referring to his relationship with the ESPN reporter rather than discussing his arrest.
Smith provided a detailed account of Scheffler’s arrival at Valhalla Golf Club after being released by Louisville Metro Police. The ESPN reporter had asked the world’s No. 1 golfer for comment about his arrest.
“Scottie got out of the black Range Rover and made his way directly into the main entrance of the clubhouse here at Valhalla, along with his agent Blake Smith,” Smith detailed during the May 17 live broadcast on ESPN+. “They made their way directly out of the car and into the building and I kind of yelled over the security folks, ‘Scottie, any comment on what happened to you this morning?’ And he looked at me with the Scottie Scheffler sly grin and just said, ‘I love you, Marty.'”
Here’s a look at Scheffler’s arrival and his brief comments to ESPN.
Scottie Scheffler Made His Second Round Tee Time at the PGA Championship as Scheduled
According to Smith, Scheffler went into the area where the PGA golfers eat at the tournament saying “hey everybody” before having a full breakfast. After breakfast, Scheffler went to the driving range for an abbreviated practice session ahead of his scheduled second-round tee time. Scheffler made his tee time as originally scheduled.
Heading into the second round, Scheffler sat at T-11 on the PGA Championship leaderboard with a score of 4-under. Scheffler hit an eagle on the very first hole of the tournament despite more than a three-week layoff as the golfer and wife Meredith Scheffler welcomed their first child to the world.
Scottie Scheffler on Arrest: ‘A Big Misunderstanding’
Prior to teeing off, Scheffler released a statement to ESPN’s Jeff Darlington. The world’s No. 1 golfer described the May 17 incident with Louisville Metro Police as “a big misunderstanding.”
“This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers,” Scheffler said in a May 17 statement. “It was a very chaotic situation, understandably so considering the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and there was a big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do. I never intended to disregard any of the instructions. I’m hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today.
“Of course, all of us involved in the tournament express our deepest sympathies to the family of the man who passed away in the earlier accident this morning. It truly puts everything in perspective.”
Scheffler was released by police and made his scheduled 10:08 a.m. Eastern tee time for the second round at the PGA Championship. The golfer is attempting to win the third major of his career. Here’s a look at Scheffler teeing off for the second round at Valhalla Golf Club.