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There have been two PGA Tour events since the now-infamous PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club, which saw world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler in an orange jumpsuit after being arrested outside the course before his second round.
But it wasn’t until last week that Louisville Metro Police agreed to drop all charges against Scheffler, who has been consistent in saying the situation was a “big misunderstanding.”
Scheffler spoke with reporters for the first time since the charges were dropped at Muirfield Village Golf Club ahead of the Memorial Tournament this week, and he feels now is the “more appropriate” time to speak on it.
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Scottie Scheffler tees off on the eighth hole during the third round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 18, 2024. (Clare Grant-USA Today Sports)
“To be honest with you, it’s not something I love reliving, just because it was fairly traumatic for me being arrested going into the golf course,” Scheffler told reporters, via ESPN.
“It was definitely a bit of a relief, but not total relief because that’s something that will always kind of stick with me. That mug shot, I’m sure is not going anywhere anytime soon.”
PGA Championship victor Xander Schauffele admitted that his group chat, which involves Scheffler and other golfers, tried to make light of the situation, especially with the mugshot becoming the group chat’s new photo.
Golf fans were also extremely quick to get the mugshot on T-shirts, which were worn at Valhalla throughout the weekend of the season’s second major.
But, while the Internet is forever and this event is certainly one of the most wild we’ve seen in professional sports in quite some time, Scheffler is right: It won’t be going away anytime soon.
As for the legal process, though, his attorney Steve Romines noted during his press conference after charges were dropped officially that Scheffler doesn’t want to pursue any litigation in this case.
Scottie Scheffler plays his shot from the 12th tee during the final round of the PGA Championship on May 19, 2024, in Louisville. (Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
“That was something that if we needed to use it, I think Steve was more than ready to use that, just because there was a ton of evidence in our favor,” Scheffler explained. “I don’t really know how to describe it, but basically if I had to show up in court, I think Steve was more than prepared to pursue legal action.
“I did not want to have to pursue legal action against Louisville, because at the end of the day, the people of Louisville are then going to have to pay for the mistakes of their police department, and that just doesn’t seem right.”
Scheffler played in the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, the week after the incident, finishing tied-second with Keegan Bradley. He didn’t travel north of the border for the Canadian Open, but he’s ready to lock in this week in Dublin, Ohio, before the U.S. Open kicks off at Pinehurst No. 2 next week.
Scheffler admits he’s still trying to wrap his brain around what happened, but he’s hoping that, over time, this will truly live in the past.
Scottie Scheffler reacts to his putt on the eighth green during the third round of the PGA Championship on May 18, 2024, in Louisville. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
“I think that’s part of the recovery process from the whole scenario, is your brain tries to figure out how this happened, and I will probably never figure out why or how this happened,” he said. “But it’s just one of those deals that it will always be kind of ingrained in my season this year. But with time, people will forget.”
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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
