Scheffler responds to surreal day with class
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY | Through the raindrops, the flashing lights, the heartbreak, the handcuffs, the mugshot, the police report, the social-media nonsense and, inevitably, the second round of the PGA Championship, a dripping sense of surrealism engulfed Valhalla Golf Club on Friday. A man lost his life crossing a crowded road in the predawn darkness and, for the longest time, the most pressing question was whether the world’s top-ranked golfer would make his weather-delayed tee time. What happened shortly after 6 a.m. at Valhalla’s narrow entryway off of U.S. Route 60, known locally as Shelbyville Road, that led to Scottie Scheffler being arrested, dressed in orange jail wear and eventually released, all in a frantic and confusing three-hour window, seems likely to be as Scheffler later described it: A big misunderstanding. He faces four criminal charges, including assault of a police officer, which is a second-degree felony, plus misdemeanors of third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic. He is scheduled to be arraigned at 9 a.m. EDT Tuesday. That will all be sorted out soon enough, though imagining Scheffler deliberately disobeying direction from a law-enforcement officer is a difficult concept to grasp. Let’s not forget that it was all precipitated by the death of a tournament vendor named John Mills who was attempting to cross a busy four-lane road when he was struck and killed by a bus. Scheffler, whose life is founded on his deep faith, made sure to acknowledge the bigger reality than the golf tournament he was trying to win. “One day he’s heading to the golf course to watch a tournament. A few moments later he’s trying to cross the street, and now he’s no longer with us,” Scheffler said, opening his Friday media session focusing on Mills and his family. […]
