Getty Image / Patrick Smith
The morning marked the strangest start to any day in professional golf history with world #1 ranked golfer Scottie Scheffler being arrested and booked while trying to pull into the clubhouse at Valhalla in Louisville. He was released after being charged with second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic.
Scottie Scheffler‘s mugshot was immediately everywhere. He was detained at 6:01 AM, booked by the Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections at 7:28 AM, and released at 8:40 AM.
In that 72-minute span, his mugshot was being shared tens of thousands of times per minute on social media. And it’s alerady made an appearance at the PGA Championship with fans wearing Scottie’s mugshot on shirts:
Scottie Scheffler mug shot t-shirts already being worn at the PGA Championship pic.twitter.com/YjfPPEKtz9
— Shooter McGavin (@ShooterMcGavin_) May 17, 2024
And yes, Scottie Scheffler has seen the shirts already:
Scottie Scheffler high-fiving fans wearing t-shirts with his mugshot after shooting a 66 during the second round of the PGA Championship would’ve legitimately sounded unbelievable 12 hours ago pic.twitter.com/uif2DCQ0Iu
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) May 17, 2024
The mugshot is stone cold. Scottie Scheffler has now joined the elite club of professional athletes to have been arrested but he’s only 1-of-2 golfers to ever be arrested *during* a major championship.
Louisville Metro Police Department
This photo, like the Tiger Woods mugshot, will be everywhere for years. It will also probably take on a funnier life if/when the charges against Scottie Scheffler get dismissed. For his part, Scheffler has already spoken about what happened. Saying:
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.
— Scottie Scheffler
Scottie Scheffler’s lawyer already spoke to the public as well following the arrest.
As for the Scottie Scheffler mugshot shirt… I wouldn’t wear one. But I’d 100% wear that on a hat.