Scottie Scheffler calls arrest a 'big misunderstanding' after he's charged with assault. What we know about the golfer's incident.

World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler was arrested early Friday morning after he tried to drive into the entrance of Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., where the PGA Championship is being held.

He was released around 8:40 a.m. ET without bail and returned to Valhalla less than an hour before his scheduled second-round tee time. He teed off at 10:13 a.m.

Here’s everything you need to know about the incident.

⛳ Who is Scottie Scheffler?

Scheffler, 27, is ranked the No. 1 golfer in the world by the Official World Golf Ranking and has held the title since March 2022. He has won two major golf championships — the 2022 and 2024 Masters — and is the first player to win the Players Championship back-to-back, in 2023 and 2024.

👮 Why did Scheffler get arrested?

Scheffler’s attorney, Steven Romines, told reporters that the golfer was arriving to Valhalla early Friday morning ahead of the second round of the PGA Championship so he could work out and get ready.

“He was going into Valhalla to work out," Romines said. “He was getting ready for his tee time. [Police] were directing traffic. He held his credential out and was going in like they’d been instructed to.”

Earlier Friday morning, a shuttle bus struck and killed a pedestrian who was attempting to cross a street outside of the club. Several police officers and first responders were at the scene around the time Scheffler showed up.

Romines said Scheffler was unaware there had been a fatal accident.

Jeff Darlington, a reporter at ESPN who witnessed Scheffler’s arrest, said he saw Scheffler trying to drive around the crash site and into the golf club. Darlington reported that a police officer tried to stop Scheffler’s car, but the golfer continued driving. The officer reportedly hung on to Scheffler’s car as Scheffler continued to drive. After Scheffler stopped, the two spoke through the driver’s side window, and then Darlington said the officer grabbed Scheffler’s arm to pull him out of the car.

The officer, who has been identified as Det. Gillis, claimed he was dragged “to the ground” as Scheffler drove and had “pain, swelling and abrasions to his left wrist.” Gillis went to the hospital for his injuries.

⚖️ What is Scheffler charged with?

Scheffler is facing charges of second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic. The assault charge against Gillis is considered a felony, while the rest of the charges are misdemeanors.

“The main thing is he was proceeding exactly as he was directed in a marked vehicle with credentials,” Romines told the Associated Press. “He didn’t do anything intentionally wrong.”

📱 Scheffler’s response

“This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers,” he said in a statement posted to Instagram Stories. “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. I never intended to disregard any of the instructions. I’m hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today.”

The PGA said of the earlier crash, “This morning we were devastated to learn that a worker with one of our vendors was tragically struck and killed by a shuttle bus outside Valhalla Golf Club. This is heartbreaking to all of us involved with the PGA Championship. We extend our sincere condolences to their family and loved ones.”

📅 What’s next for Scheffler

David Dusek, a senior writer at Golfweek, told CNN the situation was unusual for Scheffler, who he described as “one of the most squeaky clean, upright, outstanding, well-respected players out here on the PGA Tour.”

Scheffler will compete in the PGA Championship this weekend; his tee time for today was postponed for two hours after the fatal accident. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday, May 21.