World number one Scottie Scheffler has been detained by police outside Valhalla Golf Club before the second round of the US PGA Championship.
ESPN reported Scheffler was stopped by police after “a misunderstanding with traffic flow”.
Videos of the scene outside the course in Louisville, Kentucky, showed him handcuffed and being guided into the back of a police car. The second round of the year’s second major has been delayed due to an unrelated accident near the course, tournament organisers said.
Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) said a shuttle bus had struck and killed a pedestrian outside the golf club. Scheffler, who was not involved in the accident, reportedly attempted to avoid the scene of the incident before being stopped.
ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington who witnessed the incident, said: “Traffic had been backed up and building, Scottie Scheffler tried to enter Valhalla Golf Club using a side median, at which point a police officer instructed him to stop.
“Scheffler stopped the vehicle as he turned into Valhalla Golf Club at the entrance, about 10 to 20 yards from the point at which the police officer first told him to stop. He added that “at that point the police officer instructed Scheffler to get out of the car”, then proceeded to handcuff Scheffler and put him in the police car.
LMPD had earlier released a statement on the traffic accident.
“About 5:00 this morning, the LMPD responded to a call of a vehicle collision involving a pedestrian and a bus,” the statement read.
“Our preliminary investigation found that an adult male pedestrian was crossing Shelbyville Road south to north when he was struck by a shuttle bus that was travelling eastbound in the compulsory centre lane dedicated for buses.
“As a result, the pedestrian received fatal injuries and was pronounced dead on the scene. The LMPD Traffic Unit is investigating.” Organisers later said the second round of the PGA Championship will begin at 13:35 BST after an 80-minute delay.
Scheffler, who has won four of his last five events, carded a four-under-par 67 in the first round on Thursday after a remarkable start that saw him hole a 167-yard nine-iron for an eagle-two on the opening hole.
He is chasing a third successive victory after winning the Masters and RBC Heritage in April before taking three weeks off for the birth of his first child.
