Scottie Scheffler finishes strong in final round as chaotic PGA Championship comes to close
A wild and chaotic week for Scottie Scheffler in Louisville came to an end on Sunday, and he finished his final round on a high note despite all that happened leading up to it.
Scheffler found himself out of contention after shooting 73 on Saturday, 2-over par to drop him down the standings. But Scheffler roared back on Sunday with a 6-under 65 final round, vaulting him up 16 spots to leave him tied for eighth with Billy Horschel, Justin Thomas and Robert MacIntyre when all was said and done.
It was Scheffler’s best round at Valhalla Golf Club, a place filled with controversy for him this weekend after he was arrested outside the course and charged with second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from officer directing traffic early Friday morning.
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Scottie Scheffler of the United States walks off the 18th green during the final round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club on May 19, 2024, in Louisville, Kentucky. (Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
Scheffler’s now infamous mugshot, orange jumpsuit and all, went viral as he was seen handcuffed, taken to the police station, booked and returned hours later to tee off in the second round. He’d go on to birdie the first hole and finish with a 5-under 66 to move to 9-under par for the tournament.
But Saturday was a struggle for Scheffler in the first round he finished over par since last year. However, that didn’t stop the world No. 1 golfer from finishing strong at Valhalla.
It didn’t start that way on Sunday, as he bogeyed the opening hole. Scheffler seemed to be tired of squares on his scorecard as he went on to par the next three holes and then he got back to even with a birdie on hole 5.
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Scheffler went on to birdie No. 8 to finish with a 1-under 34 on the front nine. Then he really turned it up a notch in his final nine holes. Five birdies were seen from Scheffler on the back (holes 10, 12, 13, 15, 16) as he looked more like the player who won four of his last five PGA Tour events.
"It’s obviously not what I was hoping for going into the week, but overall, I’m proud of the way I fought this week and excited to get home and get ready for next week," Scheffler told CBS Sports' Amanda Balionis after his final round.
"I typically try to keep the off-course life as quiet as possible. Obviously, this week it was not that way," he added.
Scheffler will look to keep that momentum going into next week at the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Golf Club in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, though he does have an arraignment set for Tuesday.
However, the Jefferson County Prosecutors’ Office was reportedly planning "as of now" to drop Scheffler’s charges, per No Laying Up, which cited a source "familiar with the office’s thinking" on Sunday.
Scottie Scheffler of the United States plays a shot from a bunker on the 18th hole during the third round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club on May 18, 2024, in Louisville, Kentucky. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Scheffler allegedly drove past a police officer who was directing traffic near Valhalla following an incident in which a man was struck by a shuttle bus and killed early Friday morning. According to the arrest report of the incident, Louisville Detective Bryan Gillis was dragged and suffered injuries after he attached himself to Scheffler’s vehicle.
"The Jefferson County Attorney’s office has made no decisions regarding the case of Mr. Scheffler," Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell said in a statement. "We continue to gather information in the case and will review and proceed accordingly."
The Jefferson County Prosecutor’s Office didn’t immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg also noted Saturday that there was no bodycam footage of the incident involving Scheffler.
Scheffler addressed the situation as a "big misunderstanding" in a statement prior to his Friday round beginning.
"This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers. It was a very chaotic situation, understandably so considering the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and there was a big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do," he said. "I never intended to disregard any of the instructions. I’m hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today."
Scottie Scheffler of the United States walks the 18th fairway during the final round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club on May 19, 2024, in Louisville, Kentucky. (Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
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"Of course, all of us involved in the tournament express our deepest sympathies to the family of the man who passed away in the earlier accident this morning. It truly puts everything in perspective."
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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