In one of the most shocking series of events in sports history, Scotty Scheffler found himself sitting in a cell during the PGA Championship at Valhalla.
The four-time major champion was charged by police after he tried to tee time for the second round by avoiding a traffic jam caused by a fatal accident outside his golf club at 6am.
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Prosecutors later agreed to drop all charges against Scheffler, but only after the tournament was over. He was able to make his tee time after playing late and, considering the circumstances, shot a 66 for an impressive 8th place finish.
It was one of the craziest episodes in golf history, and the reaction Scheffler received when he returned to the course was palpable. It was enough to shock the American superstar.
Photo credit: Alex Goodlett/Getty Images
How fans were ‘confused’ after Scottie Scheffler was released from prison
Scheffler opened up about his prison experience on the Bob Does Sports YouTube channel and revealed when he first realized this was going to be a big story.
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“So, I think when I was sitting in the cell, they put me in a holding cell. So I’m in the cell by myself, and it was a cell where I would stretch. But when you go to the front of the cell and look over there, you see the TV, and I saw myself on the TV.
“So, at that moment I thought, ‘Holly is smoking a cigarette.’ My head is still spinning. I’m like, ‘How the hell am I here?’ But then I saw myself on TV and they delayed the game and I thought, “Oh, maybe I can get out of here in time, I can still play.”
When Scheffler was finally released from prison, he received an incredible reaction. Fans welcomed him into his life wearing T-shirts that read “Free Scotty.”
The world number one admitted he was shocked by the greeting from the fans, saying: “It was pretty cool. You know, we’re doing everything. We do a quick stretch and head to the tee. And the reaction like that when we got to the 10th tee was amazing.”
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“People were going crazy and I just felt very confused. The people on the tee, they went crazy. It was like one of the loudest receptions I’ve ever had. It’s like I was in jail 30 minutes ago.”
This is a story that will probably never be forgotten in the history of golf.
How Scottie Scheffler fared in the opening game at Pebble Beach
Scheffler is playing in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am this week, and the worrisome trends continue. Similar to last week’s WM Phoenix Open, Scheffler shot over par in the opening round.
He was able to recover in Phoenix, and within three days of his comeback, he was just one stroke behind the leader. But Pebble is a completely different outlook.
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The course of the US Open, one of golf’s most iconic locations, has opened in California with a stacked field vying for Rory McIlroy’s title starting in 2025.
It will be much more difficult for Scheffler to return to the tournament this week, so he will need to correct this trend for the rest of the year if he wants to maintain his good form.
