‘Free Scottie!’ Scheffler superfans show support at PGA tournament after golf No1’s arrest

Fans of Scottie Scheffler showed up to support the world’s No.1 golfer at the PGA Championship in specially-printed t-shirts following his arrest for assaulting a police officer on Friday.

A number of supporters were seen around the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Course in Kentucky wearing “Free Scottie” tees after Scheffler spent several hours that morning in a Louisville jail.

One fan was in an orange jumpsuit similar to the one Scheffler wore when his mugshot was taken at the jail. The t-shirts were available for purchase in the parking lot, according to the Associated Press.

“He’s the best guy out there right now, both as a player and a person,” John Glenwood, of Louisville, told the AP. “We’re here to support him.”

However questions were raised over why the golfer was released so quickly from jail after being charged with a felony and several misdemeanours.

The 27-year-old Texan was arrested outside the club just after 6am on Friday, taken to jail, dressed in an orange jumpsuit and had his mugshot taken.

In addition to the assault felony, he was charged with criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic — all misdemeanours.

He was released and made his 10am tee time on Friday in the second round of the tournament.

“A man drags a cop with his vehicle and hospitalizes him. He’s arrested … charged with a felony … and then immediately released so he can make his tee time? Did I get that right?” said Ricky L. Jones, a University of Louisville professor of pan-African studies, on the social platform X.

Bill Miller, a local golf fan who was at the course on Friday, said it cast Louisville and the police in a negative light.

“It’s just another bad look for the city,” Miller said. “I’d want to understand what the cop was trying to do. But it’s sad.”

Scheffler was arrested after trying to drive into Valhalla Golf Club in heavy traffic caused by an earlier, unrelated accident in which a male pedestrian died after being struck by a shuttle bus.

According to the police report, Detective Bryan Gillis stopped Scheffler’s car and “attempted to give instruction” to the Masters champion, who is competing in the US PGA Championship.

The report alleges Scheffler refused to comply and “accelerated forward, dragging Detective Gillis to the ground”.