After Spending Morning In Jail Cell, Scottie Scheffler Shoots 66 And Takes High Road On Arrest
LOUISVILLE — He fanned his first tee shot and you wondered if the great Scottie Scheffler had finally met his match: a jail cell. You'd hardly blame him. A surreal morning at Valhalla Golf Club, which you've surely heard about now, produced a scene so bizarre it's hard to believe it's real. The No. 1 golfer in the world, the reigning Masters champion, stretching in a jail cell.
It all stems from a giant misunderstanding. That was Scheffler's message after he shot a five-under 66 amidst the craziest circumstances imaginable. He is just three shots back of Xander Schauffele's lead and firmly in contention to win his second straight major.
Remarkably, he didn't hold any ill will toward the arresting officer. He went out of his way to start his press conference with words about John Mills, who was working security at the PGA Championship and was killed while crossing the street. Then, after saying he can't discuss specifics about the morning's events, talked for a surprisingly long time about the morning's events.
"I feel like my head is still spinning," Scheffler said. "I can't really explain what happened this morning. I did spend some time stretching in a jail cell. That was a first for me. That was part of my warmup. I was just sitting there waiting and I started going through my warmup, I felt like there was a chance I may be able to still come out here and play. I started going through my routine and I tried to get my heart rate down as much as I could today, but like I said, I still feel like my head is spinning a little bit. But I was fortunate to be able to make it back out and play some golf today."
He was greeted on the grounds by the most supportive crowd you could imagine. Incredibly, some fans already had shirts with his mugshot on it or "FREE SCOTTIE" by the time he arrived. Crowds chanted that same FREE SCOTTIE throughout the day. He felt the love.
"I really did. It was really nice. The fans were tremendous today. I felt like they were cheering extra loud for me today. I really do -- I know sometimes you can't really see it on my face, but I really do enjoy playing in front of the fans. The support I've been getting the last few months out here has been tremendous, and I'm really grateful for it."
As for whether he used the do you know who I am? card, which actually might've worked in his scenario—it never really crossed his mind. He said the officers at the prison were friendly as can be and made his brief stay a litlte better.
"The officer that took me to the jail was very kind. He was great. We had a nice chat in the car, that kind of helped calm me down. I was sitting there waiting to kind of go in and I asked him, I was like, 'Hey, excuse me, can you just come hang out with me for a few minutes so I can calm down.' I was never angry. I was just in shock, and I think my body was just -- I was shaking the whole time. I was shaking for like an hour. It was definitely a new feeling for me.
"He came out and we had a nice chat and then the officers inside the jail were tremendous. A couple of them made some jokes I think when they figured out who I was and what happened and how I ended up there. This one older officer looked at me as I was doing my fingerprints or whatever, and he looks at me and he goes, So do you want the full experience today? I kind of looked at him, and I was like, I don't know how to answer that. He's like, Come on, man, you want a sandwich? I was like, Sure, I'll take a sandwich. I hadn't eaten breakfast yet. I mean, they were really kind. I'm grateful that we have such strong police, and they're our protectors out there, and like I said, we just got into a chaotic situation this morning. That's really all it was."
*
*
Download the Barstool Golf Time app now. Book the best tee times at the best prices all in one place. Leave course reviews. Redeem rewards for free Barstool Golf merch. Follow Barstool Golf Time on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook.
SKLZ Barstool Golf products are available at golfgalaxy.com/barstool, the Barstool Store, or in-store at Golf Galaxy and select Dick’s Sporting Goods House of Sport locations.