If there’s one thing you can give Scottie Scheffler credit for — outside of his haunting drives, inch-perfect chips and sumptuous putts, that is — it’s his audacity.
The world’s No. 1 golfer tends to embrace the spotlight when it shimmers across his mammoth 6-3 frame, particularly during major championships.
The 2025 PGA Championship, then, proved an opportunity for Scheffler to put that reputation to the test. He’s facing ghosts far greater than the ones who dance across Quail Hollow’s verdant pastures. The fixture, running from May 15-18, also represents a notable — or rather, notorious — anniversary for the 28-year-old supernova.
This time last year, Scheffler was, for a brief moment, locked away in a Louisville jail.
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On Thursday, he paid homage to his hour-long stint behind bars, expressing his feelings on the moment with a simple yet poignant outfit choice.
Here’s what you need to know.
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Scottie Scheffler shirt, explained
Scheffler sported a curious piece of attire during the first round of PGA Championship action, striding onto Quail Hollow decked in burnt orange. A Texas alum, Scheffler’s decision to sport the shade wouldn’t typically draw much attention. But it soon became clear that his outfit wasn’t a reference to his collegiate background at all. Rather, it was a window into his shocking arrest at last year’s PGA Championship at Valhalla.
Off the green, on the money. Eagle for Scheffler. #PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/RYBGNwlX6j
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 15, 2025
Scheffler donned burnt orange after being swept away into the Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections on May 17, 2024. He was draped in an orange jumpsuit when he was photographed for his mugshot.
Things worked out for Scheffler in the end. After spending about an hour in a jail cell, he was released on his own recognizance. Within 30 minutes, he was back on the course, teeing off to screeching applause when he teed off. He proceeded to post a 13-under-par, the joint-eighth best score in the tournament.
Scheffler’s hoping for an even better showing in 2025. For all of the heirlooms he’s accumulated over the years, the PGA Championship has evaded him, although he was one of two runner-ups in the 2023 iteration of the competition.
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Scottie Scheffler arrest
Scheffler was arrested while making his way to Valhalla Golf Club in Lexington, Kentucky for the second round of the 2024 PGA Championship on May 17, 2024.
A pedestrian was struck and killed after attempting to cross the road around 5 a.m. ET that morning and police were summarily deployed onto the scene to direct traffic. Scheffler reportedly attempted to drive across a median in the hopes of getting into the course parking lot. Bryan Gillis, a Louisville Metro Police detective, allegedly grabbed onto Scheffler’s car and was “dragged to the ground” before arresting Scheffler, per a police report obtained by ESPN’s Michael Eaves.
The detective claimed he suffered “pain, swelling and abrasions to his left wrist and knee.” He also said his pants were “damaged beyond repair.”
Scheffler was taken to the Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections and booked on four charges — second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from officers directing traffic.
Within an hour of his arrival, he was released, returning to Valhalla at 9:12 a.m. ET. Scheffler teed off for Round 2 of the PGA Championship less than an hour after returning to the course.
The charges against Scheffler were eventually dropped, although his mugshot remains scrawled across the internet one year later.
Scottie Scheffler mugshot
Here’s a look at Scheffler’s mugshot following his arrest.
Scottie Scheffler’s mugshot from Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections. pic.twitter.com/bcJn54Nu5x
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) May 17, 2024
