Scottie Scheffler speaking at the Memorial Tournament on Tuesday.
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Scottie Scheffler isn't perfect, at least not without strings. He makes mistakes like the rest of us. A speeding ticket here, a parking violation there. But 19 days after his shocking arrest outside the gates of the PGA Championship, the world's top-ranked male golfer is still trying to come to terms with how he was handcuffed in the back of a police car and later taken to a Louisville jail. where he was arrested for four crimes, including assaulting a police officer.
“I think that's part of the recovery process in every situation, that your brain is trying to figure out how this happened,” Scheffler said Tuesday at the Memorial Tournament, in his first extensive comments about his arrest since the week of the PGA Championship. “I probably won't find out why or how this happened.”
Indeed, even two-plus weeks later, that sad Friday morning still feels surreal: the chains; asking for help while being taken to a police car; the process of expanding prison cells; Back to Valhalla, where, with a bad case hanging over him, he carded a second-round 66. Aaron Sorkin couldn't put together a script like that.
How and why does this happen? The arresting officer alleged that Scheffler, who was trying to get behind the wheel of a PGA Championship car, “refused to comply” with the officer's instructions “and then moved forward, dragging him to the ground.” Scheffler called the situation “a huge misunderstanding.” The video evidence was inconclusive, mainly because the officer failed to turn on his body camera. A trial date was set and the case was moved. Prosecutors have started an investigation. Scheffler's legal team is ready for battle. But the war never came. Last Wednesday, Jefferson County Attorney Mike O'Connell told the judge that based on the evidence he and his team reviewed, his office had no grounds to prosecute.
Scheffler knew in advance the whole world that the charges would be dropped. The week after the PGA Championship, he was in Fort Worth, Tex., for the Charles Schwab Challenge, and by Friday of that week, Scheffler said Tuesday, he had an idea where things were headed. Scheffler's attorney, Steve Romines, even had good golf news for his client. “It goes from a one-foot putt,” Romines told Scheffler about the chances of the offense going, “to the mouth.”
Scheffler wasn't very sharp that week at Colonial but managed to finish second, five strokes behind Davis Riley. Then it was back home to Dallas for some much needed rest – or as much rest as a dad can get with a newborn at home. In all the history of Scheffler's legal drama, it's easy to forget that he and his wife Meredith had their first child, Bennett, on May 8. “Getting a little sleep, not a lot,” Scheffler said. Between diaper changes and poop sessions, Scheffler said she got some exercise during her week but not much because of the heavy rain in the area. At least there was one other thing on his agenda: processing the madcap events of the past two weeks.
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“When the charges are dismissed, that's just the beginning of the transition, if that makes sense,” Scheffler said Tuesday. “That's why it's working this way now. It was definitely a bit of a relief, but not a complete relief because that's something that will always, I think, kind of stick with me. That cup, I'm sure it's not going anywhere anytime soon.”
Scheffler described the arrest as “very painful” and “not something I like to remember.” Because of the mental and emotional pain, he was asked, had he ever considered suing the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department? “Personally, no,” Scheffler said. “That was something that if we needed to use, I think Steve was ready to use that, because, as I said, there was a lot of evidence in our favor. There [were] eyewitnesses at the scene corroborate my story and video evidence, the police officer talks to me afterwards. All the evidence pointed to exactly what my side of the story was, so if we needed it, if – if I were, like – I don't really know how to explain it, but basically, if I had to appear in court, I think Steve was willing to take legal action.”
Scheffler added that if the compensation is going to be paid for with tax dollars, he doesn't want the people of Louisville to pick up the bill for “the mistakes of their police department.”
“That doesn't seem right,” he said.
Scheffler has also been pondering another recent one, as has the rest of the golf world: the May 26 death of Grayson Murray. Murray, who was 30, withdrew in the second round of the Colonial and returned home to South Florida, where he committed suicide. On Tuesday, Scheffler was among a group of players who paid tribute to Murray at a memorial service held by Muirfield Village's 1st tee. Almost every industry was there. Caddies, too. Jack and Barbara Nicklaus. The bagpiper played “Amazing Grace.” Scheffler talked about Murray's “good” mood and how he seemed to be improving after his battles with addiction and how Scheffler wished he had done more to help him. When she finished speaking, Scheffler leaned back against Meredith and cried.
Later on Tuesday, he was asked about his memorial. “It hurts me that he is no longer with us,” said Scheffler. “I tried to do my best to honor him today.”
The reporter then asked Scheffler about his improved putting technique, but Scheffler wasn't immediately ready to talk golf.
“To be honest with you, I didn't think much about that,” he said. “We had a lot of good things that happened outside of the course. That's what I talked about this morning. I think we all carry more things off the golf course than we let on. Competing here inside the ropes is a great joy for all of us, but life outside the ropes can be a challenge.”
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