Scottie Scheffler Prepares for PGA Championship in Jail Cell, Scales Leaderboard
Scottie Scheffler's Friday began in a surprising way but ended as expected - in content at a tournament.
Heard about this 27-year-old guy? Well, hours after being taken into custody, charged with felony assault, and released from jail, Scheffler effortlessly breezed through Louisville's Valhalla Golf Club with a 5-under 66, revving up his chase for a second consecutive major title.
In the clubhouse, a reporter asked Scheffler how his head was spinning. "I can't actually explain what happened this morning. I've never stretched in a jail cell before... I was just sitting there waiting and started warming up. I thought there was a chance I'd still be able to come out here and play. Either way, I was fortunate to get back and tee off," he shared.
The beginning of the second round was delayed by 80 minutes because of a fatal accident nearby. The PGA of America identified the unfortunate pedestrian as John Mills, a vendor worker for the organization.
Scheffler got arrested after he tried to drive to the course after the accident and hurt an officer. At his post-round press conference, Scheffler offered his condolences to the Mills family: "I can't fathom what they're going through today. We lost a person who was supposed to be on his way to watch a tournament, but he's gone now."
Acknowledging the weird experience, Scheffler revealed he was "pretty shaken up" in shock and fear for an hour before warming up in his holding cell. He initially thought he'd miss his tee time, but an officer assured him he should get ready to leave pretty soon. The officers were hilarious, joking around while he got fingerprinted. They also offered to help calm him down during the drive back to the course. After hugging his parents, he stepped up for his first shot, catching the attention of fans cheering him on.
"They were cheering loud for me - it was nice," he said.
Scheffler followed with a birdie, five more birdies in a row, and wound up one better than his first round 67, putting him three strokes behind leader Xander Schauffele. Schauffele, who had hit the lowest score in the tourney's history, had a lower-key afternoon, but a 68 was enough to keep two-time Masters Champion, Morikawa, at bay. A string of five straight birdies pushed Morikawa to within one shot of Schauffele's 12-under lead. In awe, Schauffele acknowledged the pressure: "Once 62 was posted, everybody felt they could score low. So I'll try to stay focused on the task at hand - it's only been two rounds so far."
Mentioning Scheffler, Schauffele quipped, "It was quite a shocker to see his mugshot… I know Scottie super well - we share the same physio and have been golfing together for a few years now. He's definitely a dependable guy, so hopefully the remaining charges won't impact him."
Sahith Theegala is atop the leaderboard, closely followed by Morikawa with one round left. Scheffler's in fourth place, alongside several other players who have one more hole to complete.
Tiger Woods' goals of a weekend presense ended, however, following a horrible opening. He scored a six-over 77, bringing his total to seven-over par - way off the projected one-under cut line. After a promising start like last month's record-breaking 24th consecutive weekend at the Masters, Woods' chances took a dive due to two triple-bogeys in the first four holes. Gotta give him credit, though - a closing birdie put a smile on fans' faces and a last-minute consolation for Woods.
"The scores didn't reflect how the public treated me. I wish I could've played better," Woods remarked to reporters.
The greatest golfers, unpredictable situations, all in one game. What a ride!
I gotta get my game back in shape. Physically, yeah, I've improved since a month back. There's still room for improvement though. I need to step up my game physically.
Apart from Woods, there are other renowned golfers like the 2021 Masters champion Jon Rahm, 2022 US Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick, and six-time major champion Phil Mickelson who might miss the cut line.
Golf action will resume at 7:15 a.m. Eastern Time (12:15 BST) on Saturday.
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Despite the unusual start to his day, Scottie Scheffler managed to keep his focus on the golf course. He even mentioned playing a round of golf in his jail cell.
During his post-round interview, Scheffler expressed his condolences for the tragic accident near the golf club and the loss of John Mills, a vendor worker for the PGA of America.
['Golf', 'course']
Source: edition.cnn.com
