At last year's PGA Championship held at Valhalla Club in Louisville, Kentucky, Scottie Scheffler was arrested in the early morning when attempting to enter the golf course ahead of his Friday tee time.
He was charged with second-degree assault of a police officer and three misdemeanors and was brought to jail for over an hour before being released and allowed to return to the golf course. Scheffler arrived in time to tee off and subsequently shot a 66, the second-best score of the day, almost like nothing had even happened. Except, something had.
Scheffler's arrest was the biggest story of the morning, with sports fans waking up in shock and confusion. ESPN's Jeff Darlington broke the news on his X account, and the post accumulated over 25 million views.
The charges against the former Texas Longhorn were dropped 12 days later on May 29, 2024. But the legacy of the incident has lived on in the golf world.
Following Scheffler's victory at the 2025 PGA Championship just over a year since his arrest, Nike released a humorous ad referencing Scheffler's run-in with the law.
The verdict is in.
— Nike (@Nike) May 18, 2025
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is the PGA Champion. pic.twitter.com/0PVASNw4w3
The ad has been well received by Nike's audience and the play on words is a clever way to deliver a message clear in the current professional golf scene: Scottie Scheffler is the best player in the world.
Since his arrest, Scheffler's accomplishments include two majors and the FedExCup title, a gold medal in the 2024 Olympic Games and the Jack Nicklaus Award for the third straight year.
Last week at Quail Hollow Club, Scheffler went from the tournament's favorite to its champion. The world No. 1 ran away with the Wanamaker Trophy, finishing at 11 under and five strokes ahead of the golfers tied for second. The PGA Championship is the Texas alum's third major victory and first not at the Masters Tournament. He is now halfway to the career Grand Slam at only 28 years old.
Scheffler signed with Nike in 2022 and has been the face of their golf division since then. The company's other sponsored golfers include Rory McIlroy, Tony Finau, Tommy Fleetwood, and Tom Kim.
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