Scottie Scheffler, the world's No. 1 ranked golfer, intends to plead not guilty to an incident in which he attempted to go around a fatal traffic accident last week before the PGA Championship, his attorney told ESPN. Scheffler allegedly hit and dragged a police officer as he tried to make his way to the tournament in Louisville, Kentucky.
He was handcuffed and arrested as a result.
"Scheffler's attorney, Steve Romines, told ESPN that a not guilty plea will be entered on the new date in Louisville. The world No. 1 is not required to attend the arraignment, which originally was scheduled for Tuesday," wrote Mark Schlabach of ESPN. "A conflict in Romines' schedule was the reason for the change in date, he told ESPN."
Scheffler, 27, said the incident was the result of a "chaotic situation" and he intended no harm. The police officer was hospitalized with minor injuries.
"This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers. 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," a statement from Scheffler read. "I never intended to disregard any of the instructions. I'm hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today."
Scheffler finished the PGA Championship in a four-way tie for eighth place at 13 under. He shot a 65 in the final round.
"Scheffler said Sunday that he felt 'fairly tired, definitely a lot more tired than I have been finishing some other tournaments,' but added that he was 'proud of how I fought this week,'" Schlabach wrote.
