Despite being arrested, Scottie Scheffler overcomes his fear and remains in the US PGA hunt.

After amazing early-morning scenes, the world No. 1 was taken into custody and charged, but he didn’t let that stop him from playing this game.

“Yes, I did stretch for a while in a detention cell. That was the beginning of my warm-up.

If ever a quote summed up the jaw-dropping nature of Friday at the 106th US PGA Championship, this was it.

Scottie Scheffler – hitherto of unblemished reputation – found himself in handcuffs at 6am, charged with four offences within 90 minutes, released from Louisville custody at 8.40am and on the tee at Valhalla at 10.08am. His round of 66, which put him three shots behind leader Xander Schauffele, was consistent with the incredible sequence of events that had transpired earlier.

When he was shoved into the back of a police car, Scheffler did nothing to hide his disarray. To put it mildly, I was really rattled, according to Scheffler. “I never felt irate. Just stunned. I was shaking. In shock and dread, if I may. Coming out here and trying to play today was definitely a challenge but I did my best to control my mind, control my breathing.”

Scheffler is certain that “will be handled” in his scenario. “That will get resolved fairly quickly,” he continued. He commended the police officers who made an effort to maintain his composure. “After they realized who I was, a few of them started making jokes.” Scheffler watched his own arrest on TV while he sat in a detention cell. He has no intention of pulling out of the US PGA.

“And Scottie Scheffler from Texas will play next.” Wyndham Clark was on his way out already. Brian Harman had followed suit. The current US Open and Open champions received courteous applause, although the mood was naturally somber due to the heavy downpour. When the starter said Scheffler, there were thunderous cheers.

The 27-year-old is still dominating sports and has won significant championships. But nothing like this episode has drawn galleries toward Scheffler. Scheffler stated, “I never tried to defuse the situation by naming names.” “I just tried to follow directions and be as calm as possible.”

The swell of support for Scheffler had been apparent as he took to the practice range. “Bankrupt the city!” yelled one fan. “Make the city pay!” ordered another. Louisville wrong, Scheffler right. Golf fans are firmly on the side of the golfer in this clash with the authorities. They chanted Scheffler’s name, they willed him towards victory. There were even punters wearing T-shirts bearing Scheffler’s mugshot as he strode towards the scoring hut. At that point, he was only two from the lead.

Scheffler’s visit from the Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections would have made this day in Kentucky nothing more than a terrible huge one. Scheffler the outlaw had electrified the crowds. Additionally, it seemed as though the audience had been waiting for a cause to support this person. Whether that says more about those spectators or Scheffler is another matter.

Of course, this story has a terrible component. In the chaos surrounding Scheffler, it’s important to remember John Mills, an on-site worker who died in a collision with a bus. The player won’t be the one doing it. “My heartfelt condolences to Mr. Mills’ family,” Scheffler uttered. “I’m not sure what they’re dealing with. One day he’s heading to the golf course to watch a tournament. A few moments later he’s trying to cross the street and now he’s no longer with us. I feel for them. I’m sorry.”

However, it ought to be feasible to offer condolences for the events that transpired outside the gates at five in the morning and evaluate the remarkable occurrences involving Scheffler, who arrived unaware that an accident had occurred. This athlete is not often this risk averse. After signing for a three-under 68, clubhouse leader Xander Schauffele said: “What I read with Scottie seems super unfortunate, he’s a solid guy and hopefully he comes out OK and unscathed.”

After struggling to an 82 on Thursday, John Daly pulled out of the competition, citing a thumb ailment. Few people would have voiced concerns if Scheffler had been the colorful Daly in trouble with the law instead of Scheffler. Actually, all the other competitors in the 156-person field would appear ahead of Scheffler in any open poll soliciting predictions on the name of the person involved in this particular event. That was really jaw-dropping because of this.

Day two at Valhalla was only meant to be noteworthy because of the terrible weather. Even in a previously tame environment, golf never ceases to astonish.