LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Those who followed Scottie Scheffler on Sunday at the 2024 PGA Championship were served an excellent round of club with a side of open mic night at the Louisville Comedy Club off Main Street.
Yells of “Free Scottie!” and variations of “Look out! There are two police officers right there” or “He’s the man in blue, get him, officer!” were heard on every hole out at Valhalla Golf Club in the final round of the second men’s major of the year. The officers who have walked with Scheffler inside the ropes the last few days have been able to brush off the amateur jokers, while Scheffler claims he hardly heard any.
“I think when you’re out there inside the ropes, I don’t really hear too much of it. It’s nice to hear your name. I heard a lot of “Scottie” chants. I didn’t hear too many of the “free Scottie” chants, but I definitely heard a lot of “Scottie” chants,” said Scheffler, who must be able to block out the word free. “Like I said, it’s great to have the support of the fans. Being able to play out here in front of them week in, week out is one of the greatest joys of my life for sure. So being able to do that this week and play another major championship, it was fun. Obviously the results weren’t what I was hoping for at the beginning of the week, but overall I’m proud of how I fought this week.”
After a 2-over 73 on Saturday, his first over-par performance in 42 rounds so far this year, Scheffler bounced back with his best showing of the week, a superb 6-under 65 that featured just one bogey on the first hole. Scheffler walked off the course at 13 under for the tournament, T-8 on the leaderboard.
“It was obviously not what I was hoping for going into the week, but overall I’m proud of how I fought this week, and excited to get home and get ready for next week,” he said. But how soon will he be able to get back to Texas? Following his wild arrest on Friday morning before his second-round tee time that led to four charges, including a felony, Scheffler has an arraignment set for Tuesday at 9 a.m. ET. He’s also scheduled to play next week’s 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club near his home in Dallas.
“I think it’s all up in the air. I’m not really sure what the next days have in store,” Scheffler said of his sticky situation. “I think I’m able to get home tonight, but we’ll see when I leave here. I haven’t really had much chance to assess the situation off the course. I signed my card and then came straight over here. So we’ll see, but hopefully we’ll be able to get home tonight.”
For a 27-year-old with a clean history and laid back, private life, Scheffler has handled this week as well as could be expected. Four hours after his Friday arrest he shot a 5-under 66 and birdied two of his first three holes fresh out of a cell. His Saturday 73 could have easily been chalked up to the gravity of his situation finally setting in after the adrenaline wore off, or the fact he was without his caddie and good friend Ted Scott, who left the tournament for a day to attend his daughter’s high school graduation. When asked what was different between Saturday and Sunday, Scheffler didn’t take the easy out.
“I think I would attribute it mostly to a bad day. I think when you come out here to compete, you’re out here competing, you’re doing what you can throughout the course of the round to post a score and I wasn’t able to get that done yesterday,” he explained. “Did I feel like myself? Absolutely not. Was my warm-up the way it usually is and the distractions were they normally are? Absolutely not. But I’m not going to sit here and say that’s why I went out and played a bad round of golf yesterday.”
“Yesterday obviously was quite frustrating and a bit of a different day, but overall proud of how I fought this week,” Scheffler added. “Was fortunate to be out here competing, doing what I love.”
If Scheffler thought he had fan support this week, just wait until his fellow Texans rally around him in Fort Worth. That is, assuming he’s able to tee it up. No Laying Up’s Kevin Van Valkenburg reported Sunday morning that Jefferson County prosecutors are planning to drop the charges against Scheffler early next week.
Until then, we wait.