PGA Championship 2024: Xander Schauffele leads after Scottie Scheffler plays on despite arrest
The Masters champion described his arrest outside Valhalla as a ‘big misunderstanding’ as he returned to shoot a five-under 66 and keep himself in contention at the halfway stage
Xander Schauffele maintained a slender lead at the halfway stage of the PGA Championship after a day dominated by the chaotic arrest of Scottie Scheffler in the early hours of Friday morning at Valhalla.
The American had been attempting to make his way to the course ahead of the start of the second round, but was stopped by police over what he later called “a big misunderstanding”.
Scheffler was placed in handcuffs and arrested, before being charged by the Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections, with the second round pushed back by an hour and 20 minutes due to the fatal accident.
The 27-year-old was later released by police and produced a sparkling five-under-par 66 to remain in contention for his second major in as many months. The World No.1 sits three shots back of Schauffele who fired a three-under 69 to set the clubhouse lead at -12.
Two-time major champion Collin Morikawa and fellow American Sahith Theegala sit in contention at -11 and -10 respectively but Rory McIlroy’s bid to end his decade-long major drought stuttered after a disappointing even-par round.
Relive all the action from the second round of the PGA Championship below:
Who is Scottie Scheffler, the golfer charged with assault outside tournament?
Golfer Scottie Scheffler made headlines for all the wrong reasons when he was arrested and charged with felony assault on a police officer on Friday.
Scheffler, 27, allegedly refused to stop for police outside Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky on his way to the second round of the PGA Championship.
Here’s a look back on his career:
Who is Scottie Scheffler, the golfer charged with assault outside tournament?
Golfer is known by fans as a family man who regularly discusses his Christian faith and loved ones
Scottie Scheffler: I was shaking in ‘shock and fear’ after arrest at US PGA
Scottie Scheffler has spoken of his shock, confusion and fear after being arrested on his way to the US PGA Championship on a surreal and tragic Friday morning.
Scheffler was detained by Louisville Metro Police after trying to drive into the golf club in heavy traffic caused by an earlier unrelated accident in which a pedestrian died after being struck by a shuttle bus.
Tournament officials said they were “devastated” by the death of local man John Mills, who was working for an on-site vendor at Valhalla.
Scheffler, the world number one, faces charges of second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic.
Scottie Scheffler: I was shaking in ‘shock and fear’ after arrest at US PGA
Scheffler went on to shoot a remarkable second round of 66 at Valhalla.
Leaderboard
-12: Schauffele
-11: Morikawa
-10: Theegala
-9: Scheffler, Detry, Hubbard, DeChambeau
-8: Hovland, Eckroat, Finau
-7: Koepka, MacIntyre, Matsuyama, Wallace, English
Play suspended
Darkness has called a halt to the second-round action at the PGA Championship, meaning many will have to come back tomorrow morning to finish off their rounds.
DeChambeau, though, quickly wraps up his final hole with a par to get in the clubhouse at -9. A superb six-under-par 65 from the LIV Golfer who is not one to ignore this weekend.
Bogey-bogey finish for MacIntyre
MacIntyre -7 (69)
A real kicker of a finish for the only Scot in the field as he finishes with two bogeys to drop out of the top ten. It’s a heavy-handed putt from a downhill lie which races past the hole and he’s unable to make the putt back up the slope to save par.
Still, a productive day and he’s still on course for a great finish heading into the weekend.
Theegala in contention
Theegala -10 (67), Finau -8 (69)
A wild tee shot from Theegala thwarts his efforts of a closing birdie but it’s been a superb round from the American who is right in the thick of it. Finau, meanwhile, showcases some great short-game touch to enable him to finish with a birdie and move back up to -8.
A topsy-turvy round for him but don’t count him out just yet.
Koepka finishes with a birdie
Koepka -7 (68)
A topsy-turvy round comes to and end with a birdie at the last for Koepka. It could have been so much better for the defending champion, but a slew of short missed putts means he has to settle for a three-under-par 68 which leaves him five shots off Schauffele at the top of the leaderboard.
Late bogey for MacIntyre
MacIntyre -8 (17*)
The Scot is trying to hang on down this closing stretch but is making life difficult for himself. He’s wildly out of position on the seventh hole but somehow gets up and down from the thick rough to save his par.
He can’t prevent a dropped shot at the next hole, though, and he drops back to -8 as he heads him his last.
Hovland showing signs of life
Hovland -8 (66)
A birdie at the last for Hovland and it’s an incredibly encouraging second-round display from the Norwegian who has vaulted himself into contention after such a disappointing start to the season.
Back-to-back bogeys for Koepka
Koepka -6 (17)
The defending champions’ woes with the putter continue. A bogey on 16 is compounded by another on 17, the latter courtesy of a terrible short miss.
On another day, Koepka could have fired a six-under-par round and be right in the thick of it, but his putting has let him down big time. He’d love a birdie at the last.
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