Scottie Scheffler arrested outside PGA Championship and charged with assault on police officer

(CNN) — World No. 1 golfer and Masters champion Scottie Scheffler was arrested and charged with a felony and other counts Friday morning outside the PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, dramatically upending one of golf’s major tournaments.

Scheffler was charged with second-degree assault on a police officer – a felony – 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’s been released from jail, according to the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections.

CNN has reached out to representatives for Scheffler, who returned to the course after his arrest. A spokesperson for the PGA of America, the organizer of the PGA Championship, told CNN, “As this is an ongoing situation, we will let you know of any updates as they come.”

The incident began when Scheffler drove to the Valhalla Golf Club for the second round of the tournament, according to ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, who witnessed and filmed the arrest.

Police presence around the entrance to the course was elevated due to the fatal accident involving a shuttle bus carrying people to the course. Louisville Metro Police Department spokesperson Dwight Mitchell said a pedestrian was killed after attempting to cross the main road leading to the course and being hit by the bus.

When Scheffler arrived, he attempted to drive around the crash scene on a median, according to ESPN, which first reported Scheffler’s detention.. “A police officer instructed Scheffler to stop, but Scheffler continued to drive about 10 to 20 yards toward the entrance,” ESPN said.

“Scheffler then stopped his vehicle at the entrance to Valhalla. The police officer then began to scream at Scheffler to get out of the car. When Scheffler exited the vehicle, the officer shoved Scheffler against the car and immediately placed him in handcuffs,” Darlington posted on X. Scheffler was in a marked player courtesy vehicle, Darlington said on ESPN.

Video from Darlington shows police walking with Scheffler, who was in handcuffs, and placing him into a police vehicle.

“Right now he’s going to jail,” an officer at the scene says in the video.

PGA Championship organizers announced Friday’s second round would be delayed “due to an accident near the course” and said general public shuttles to the course have resumed.

ESPN’s PGA set anchor Dave Flemming called it “a championship in chaos” on air.

CNN is seeking comment from law enforcement and the PGA of America regarding both incidents.

World No. 1 seeks season’s second major

Scheffler was the overwhelming favorite ahead of the season’s second major, seeking to go back-to-back following his Masters triumph last month.

After a stellar 2023 campaign that saw him retain the PGA Tour’s Player of the Year title, Scheffler this season has only consolidated his status as the dominant force in men’s golf. Just one week after a commanding victory at The Arnold Palmer Invitational, he mounted a stunning late charge to become the first player to ever defend The Players Championship.

Since then, the 27-year-old has looked borderline unstoppable, as victory at the RBC Heritage – just one week on from easing into his second green jacket at Augusta – made it four wins in five starts.

Scheffler last week stepped away from competitive action to be with wife Meredith as she gave birth to the couple’s first child, Bennett.

“Sitting at home with the girl I dated in high school with our child and then the Green Jacket sitting in the closet is a pretty insane feeling,” he said, “and I just wanted to be as thankful as possible.”

Following play Thursday in Louisville, Scheffler was looking ahead to trying to “clean up a few of the mistakes,” he said.

“I missed two putts I felt like I should have holed today, but that’s going to happen when the greens get a little chewed up,” he said. “I felt like there was a couple things I can clean up going into tomorrow, but overall today was a solid round.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.