Charges dropped against Scottie Scheffler after arrest outside PGA Championship

Charges against world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler were dropped in a hearing Wednesday.

Jefferson Country Attorney Mike O’Connell cited insufficient evidence to try the case, which stemmed from a pre-dawn incident outside the gates of the PGA Championship.

“Earlier today, I was informed by my attorney, Steve Romines, that all charges were formally dismissed in regard to the incident outside Valhalla Golf Club on May 17,” Scheffler said in a statement on Instagram. “As I stated previously, this was an unfortunate misunderstanding. I hold no ill will toward Officer Gillis. I wish to put this incident behind me and move on, and I hope he will do the same. Police officers have a difficult job and I hold them in high regard.

“This was a severe communication in a chaotic situation,” Scheffler added.

After an accident in which a worker was struck and killed on Shelbyville Road, Scheffler was trying to get through heavy traffic to enter Valhalla shortly after 6 a.m. Friday at the PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 17. He was arrested and faced four charges, among them failure to heed the instructions of a police officer but also reckless driving and, most serious, felony second-degree assault of an officer, Bryan Gillis, whom the police report asserted had attached himself to Scheffler’s car and was dragged, suffering injuries

Scheffler’s lawyer, Steve Romines, contended that Scheffler would be exonerated, insisting he did nothing wrong. O’Connell said the evidence supported Scheffler’s contention that it was a chaotic situation and a misunderstanding. The officer, Gillis, did not have his bodycam on.

Charges were dismissed with prejudice, meaning the case can’t be reopened.

Scheffler said in a statement that he was “proceeding as directed by police officers” but amid the chaos – it was dark and raining, with cars everywhere – there was a misunderstanding.

He had won four of his previous five tournaments, building huge leads in the Official World Golf Ranking and FedExCup, coming into the PGA. He was a new father, welcoming a son into the world with wife Meredith, and was attempting to win his second straight major, becoming the first player to get halfway to the calendar-year Grand Slam since Jordan Spieth in 2015.

That all became secondary as events unfolded early Friday.

At 5 a.m. a man whom the PGA of America said was “a worker with one of our vendors,” and who was later identified as John Mills, was fatally struck by a shuttle bus near the club entrance. At around 6 a.m., with traffic at a standstill, Scheffler was arrested trying to enter the club.

Handcuffed, Scheffler was driven to jail and booked into a holding cell. He was issued an orange jumpsuit and watched his saga play out on a nearby TV tuned to ESPN. He was discharged on his own recognizance and made his tee time, which had been pushed back 80 minutes due to the fatal accident and traffic backup on Shelbyville Road.

Somehow, after all that, Scheffler shot 66 to remain in contention. After the round, he reiterated that it was a “chaotic situation” and “a misunderstanding” but praised the Louisville Metro Police Department and police everywhere for doing a hard, vital job.

He also said his situation was secondary in importance to the tragic death of Mills.

“It truly puts everything in perspective,” he said in the statement.

After running out of adrenaline the next day, Scheffler shot a third-round 73 – he went 4 over for his first four holes – and fell out of contention. He shot a final-round 65 to finish T8.

“I appreciate the support during the past two weeks,” Scheffler posted on Instagram on Wednesday, “and want to again encourage everyone to remember the real tragedy of May 17. My thoughts and prayers continue to be with John Mills and his family, and I hope to personally offer my condolences now that the case is over. May John rest in peace.”