LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler was in handcuffs earlier than daybreak behind a police automotive. His warmup routine started in a jail cell. And a few six hours later, Scheffler remarkably signed for a 5-under 66 and was proper within the combine Friday on the PGA Championship.
Xander Schauffele, recent off his document begin of 62, was not letting up in a bid to beat darkness. He needed to accept pars over his final seven holes for a 68. He was at 12-under 130, one shot forward of Collin Morikawa, who birdied 5 in a row down the stretch solely to finish with a bogey for a 65. Tiger Woods had two triple bogeys and missed the lower.
These had been mere footnotes on a day that was past perception.
“I really feel like my head continues to be spinning,” Scheffler stated.
The world’s No. 1 participant and Masters champion was driving to Valhalla about 6 a.m. when he bumped into site visitors, unaware police had been investigating a pedestrian — John Mills, who labored for a vendor on the event — being struck and killed by a shuttle bus.
Scheffler was arrested for failing to observe police directions. The arrest report indicated a Louisville Metro police officer was dragged to the bottom as Scheffler’s automotive drove by, inflicting swelling and abrasions on the officer’s left wrist. Scheffler stated it was a “chaotic scenario” and he by no means supposed to ignore the police directions. “A giant misunderstanding,” he stated.
“I can’t think about what they’re going by. I really feel for them,” he stated of the sufferer’s household. “My scenario will get dealt with.”
Scheffler was handcuffed and arrested for second-degree felony assault and three different prices. The winner of a Masters inexperienced jacket posed for a mug shot sporting orange jail garb. He might see from the holding cell video of his arrest on ESPN.
His coronary heart was racing and his physique was shaking.
“I did spend a while stretching in a jail cell. That was a primary for me,” Scheffler stated. “I used to be simply sitting there ready and I began going by my warmup. I felt like there was an opportunity I might be able to nonetheless come out right here and play. I began going by my routine and I attempted to get my coronary heart fee down as a lot as I might right this moment.
“I used to be lucky to have the ability to make it again out and play some golf right this moment.”
Not simply any golf. He hit a wedge to three toes for birdie on his first gap. He was stable from tee-to-green, made a couple of putts and had a spherical that ranked amongst his greatest underneath the circumstances.
“So far as greatest rounds of my profession, I’d say it was fairly good,” Scheffler stated. “I undoubtedly by no means imagined ever going to jail, and I undoubtedly by no means imagined going to jail the morning earlier than one in every of my tee occasions for positive.”
He practiced a bit after his spherical, signed a couple of autographs and was making an attempt to get again right into a routine to organize for what Scheffler expects to be a grind.
That a lot was evident by the scores. Valhalla is gentle and defenseless, and hardly any wind made it even simpler.
Morikawa posted from the morning wave at 11-under 131, and Schauffele had moved previous him has he headed to the again 9.
Scheffler was at 133 together with Thomas Detry (67) and Mark Hubbard, who had three bogeys and three birdies over his final seven holds in a spherical of 68.
Hubbard received some consideration early Friday with a submit to X that referenced Scheffler’s police report, together with a listed weight of 170 kilos.
“Scottie’s larger than me, there’s no means he’s 170,” Hubbard stated after his spherical. “Like, I received to get within the fitness center and cease consuming a lot of my children’ leftover mac and cheese.”
However then he turned severe, as so many different gamers did, expressing shock over seeing Scheffler in handcuffs and unhappiness for Mills, the 69-year-old sufferer.
“I believed the saddest half was that the entire thing was about Scottie getting arrested and all that — and like I stated, I’m glad he’s doing OK and the whole lot — however I imply, somebody died this morning, and we had been on the market on the course. I wager 90% of the folks out right here don’t even know that occurred.
“That’s not Scottie’s fault in any respect, however that was the actual tragedy right this moment.”
Austin Eckroat, who received his first PGA Tour title earlier this yr on the Cognizant Basic, received out of his automotive in site visitors and walked the remainder of the best way. His spouse took the automotive and later returned. He usual one other 67 and was within the group at 8-under 134.
“I pulled up the native information station making an attempt to determine what was occurring, and the very first thing I noticed was Scottie had been put in handcuffs,” Eckroat stated. “And I used to be like, ‘What on this planet is happening?’ It was a bizarre morning.”
The one normalcy was the golf. Schauffele continues to be going robust. Morikawa retains shifting nearer to the shape that introduced him two majors. And Scheffler nonetheless seems just like the participant to beat.
He couldn’t focus on many particulars of the arrest for authorized causes. Within the three hours he spent away from the course, Scheffler had three wardrobe modifications — fitness center garments, jail garb and golf garments — took a mug shot and employed an lawyer. He received again to Valhalla 56 minutes earlier than his tee time.
And the cheers and assist for him had been by no means louder or uncommon, particularly the chants of “Free Scottie!” and shortly usual T-shirts that stated the identical.
“I’ve stored myself within the event now with a reasonably chaotic day, so I’m going to go from right here and deal with getting some relaxation and restoration and prepare for a grind the final two days,” Scheffler stated.
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