For the first time since mid-May, Scottie Scheffler is preparing for a tournament without criminal charges hanging over him, after those he was hit with after his arrest before the second round of the PGA Championship were dropped last week.
The World No.1 will compete in the latest of the PGA Tour’s signature events this week, the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village. Beforehand, he spoke to the media about the news that he was no longer facing the prospect of a trial after he was arrested attempting to enter Valhalla for his second round.
Scheffler admitted he first got an inkling the charges would be dropped on his way to a T2 at the Charles Schwab Challenge the following week.
“I had a good idea at the end of the week at Colonial that they were going to be dropped,” he explained. “Obviously, we had a lot of evidence on our side. We needed to let the legal process play out at that point.
"Towards the end of the week at Colonial, I think my lawyer used the term, like, it went from, like, a 1-foot putt to it's on the lip, kind of thing, and then nothing is obviously official until it becomes really official, but I think Friday afternoon it was pretty official in our mind.”
While Scheffler showed signs of his best form at the Colonial Country Club tournament, after his third round of the PGA Championship, when he shot an uncharacteristic 73, he admitted the events of the day before had taken their toll. That’s something he revealed he couldn’t begin to overcome until confirmation came that he was in the clear.
“I definitely hadn't moved past it,” he said. “I would say that I still, you know, wouldn't have 100% moved past it because, yeah, the charges are dropped, but I still - now it's almost more appropriate for people to ask me about it and ask me about the situation and, to be honest with you, it's not something that I love reliving, just because it was fairly traumatic for me being arrested going into the golf course.”
Regardless, he said there had been relief when the news broke - even if it was unlikely he'd be able to completely put it behind him. He added: “It was definitely a bit of a relief, but not total relief because that's something that will always, I think, kind of stick with me. That mug shot, I'm sure is not going anywhere anytime soon.”
Despite the lingering possibility that he would need to stand trial, Scheffler explained that he remained focused on playing - even if his form took a slight dip.
“On the golf course, I showed up at Colonial ready to play,” he said. “I didn't just show up to go whack the ball around. I played and I wanted to compete and I wanted to win the tournament and that's why I'm here this week.
“So when it comes to on the golf course stuff, I'm always prepared to go out and play. I was prepared to go play in Louisville, even after I got arrested. I went out on Friday and had a good round golf. Saturday wasn't my best stuff, but came back again on Sunday.
“And so on the course, I'm always ready to play. No matter what the circumstances are off the course, if I'm showing up at a tournament, it's not some sort of ceremonial deal. I'm here to play.”
Given that, and the fact he can now play free of off-course concerns, his opponents over the coming weeks could be worried, particularly with the US Open around the corner. Scheffler, who won The Masters in April, also admitted that the next Major is never far from his mind.
He said: “I'm always preparing for the next week and I'm trying to manage my practice to where I'm trying to get a little bit better each day, and I think the Majors are always kind of earmarked in my head on the calendar. I try to block 'em out, but the Majors are always in the back of my head.”
