Scottie Scheffler and the PGA Tour were dealing with the most unexpected of situations on Friday morning as a volunteer for the PGA Championship passed away in a tragic accident, then following the traffic chaos that ensued in an attempt to clear the very congested area, the World No. 1 golfer was detained when he failed to follow police instructions to get through the congestion.

Scheffler was placed by police in handcuffs following a misunderstanding with traffic flow at Valhalla Golf Club Friday morning. After players were sent texts letting them know of the accident and the delays in getting into the course lot, Scheffler attempted to drive past a police officer just after 5 am. Then officer then tried to stop the vehicle. Scheffler drove another 10 yards and then halted his car at the club entrance, prompting the officer to yell at him to exit the vehicle. Upon stepping out, Scheffler was shoved against the car and handcuffed. He was taken into custody and his mugshots were taken.

Video footage of the arrest included another officer telling ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington, “Right now, he’s going to jail. And, there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Scheffler was behind a shuttle bus that was left unattended and blocking traffic. When Scheffler tried to go around the bus on the side median and pull around what he thought was security. He was confused about what direction he was being given and disregarded the instructions from the officer, who was dressed in a similar yellow neon jacket. Scheffler was under the impression that in his clearly marked vehicle that had credentials and instructions to go into the course lot.

Scheffler Released a Statement

Scheffler returned to the course after a few hours of delay and was able to tee off. He is now golfing in the second round, trying to put the entire incident behind him. The PGA changed his tee time to allow for Scheffler to make a new time.

When asked about what happened, Scheffler tried to describe a situation that has confused almost everyone, simply because the last person anyone would have expected to be in this situation is Scheffler. He noted:

“This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers.  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.”

If Scheffler is able to somehow stay focused on the golf this morning, it will be an unbelievable achievement.