SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER was seen high-fiving a fan who was wearing a t-shirt with his mugshot on it.
The world No1 golfer was charged with four offences including second degree assault of a police officer clashing with cops before the PGA Championship at Valhalla Gold Club in Louisvile, KY, USA.
The 27-year-old is alleged to have dragged an officer along the road underneath his car after temporary traffic measures were put in place after a man tragically died earlier in the day.
Police later released a photo of his mugshot that saw him wearing an orange jumpsuit.
The American said he was “rattled” by the experience and put it down to a “huge misunderstanding”.
Regardless, it did not take golf fans long to make the most of it.
Just hours after the picture was published online, a fan was seen wearing a white t-shirt with a photo of the mugshot on the front of it.
The fan even managed to catch up with the world No.1 during the second round, with Scheffler seen high-fiving them after shooting a 66.
A selection of other fans were also seen at the golf club wearing the t-shirt.
Other fans were seen wearing ‘free Scottie’FREE SCOTTIE’ t-shirts.
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Fans watching on TV were left stunned at how quick they had managed to get the shirt printed.
One social media user said: “They have a screen printer in the car or what?”
A second said: “Now that’s the proper use of the just-in-time supply chain.”
Another said: “Scottie Scheffler shirt already out in the wild at the Guards tonight.”
A fourth added: “Scottie man of the people.”
Despite his arrest, Scheffler did not let it impact on his game.
In fact, The Masters champion sensationally had his joint-best EVER second round at a major as he hit five under par in the rain.
Scheffler told reporters: “It was a chaotic situation and a big misunderstanding. My head is still spinning.
“I was pretty rattled, to say the least… I was never angry, I was just in shock. I was shaking for about an hour.”
Cops had set up diversion systems to deal with traffic near the Valhalla Golf Club early in the morning after a fatal accident saw a man die after being struck by a bus.
Cops were directing cars in the dark as the players started to roll in mixed with the fans.
Witnesses said Scheffler tried to swerve around what he thought was a group of security staff but were in fact police.
One cop reportedly threw himself onto the golf star’s car, screaming at him to stop driving.
A police report said The Masters champion “refused to comply and accelerated forward” during the chaos, “dragging Detective Gillis” to the ground.
Dramatic footage showed Scheffler being handcuffed and bundled into a police car flanked by two cops.
He was then later charged with a felony offence of second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding traffic signals from an officer.
To calm his nerves, Scheffler also told reporters he bonded with the cop who drove him to jail.
He said: “We had a nice chat in the car that kind of helped calm me down. I was sitting there waiting to go in and I asked him ‘Can you just come hang out with me for a few minutes so I can calm down?’.
“When I was sitting in the holding cell, there was a TV there and I could see myself on the TV.”
The golf star could potentially land himself up to 10-years behind bars for the chaos caused.
Second-degree assault is seen as a class C felony in Kentucky as a “dangerous instrument” was used to intentionally cause injury – in this instance the car.
THE images of Scottie Scheffler being hauled off to jail in handcuffs will shock the golfing world, because no-one has a more clean-cut image than the world No 1, writes David Facey.
Scheffler’s detainment for allegedly speeding past a police car on his way to tee off in round two of the USPGA Championship goes against everything the god-fearing family man stands for.
The fact that it has happened barely a week after his wife, Meredith, gave birth to their first child, Bennett, makes it even more shocking.
Scheffler and Ryder Cup team-mate Sam Burns organise a bible group attended by other PGA Tour players and caddies, and there has never been a whiff of scandal associated with the 27 year old.
Before returning to action at the USPGA – following a three week break to enjoy becoming a dad for the first time – Scheffler spoke about how blissfully happy his life was now.
He said: “At home it was a nice time to reflect a little bit on my career so far and where my life has gone.
“I married my high school sweetheart and I always wanted to play professional golf, and of course I’ve done that, and won two Masters and become world No 1.
“When I was at home I was sitting there with a newborn in my arms and the green jacket in the closet. It was a pretty special time I think.”
One moment of madness, or a mix-up, could see his world turned upside down.
