The most shocking aspect of Scottie Scheffler’s arrest at the 2024 PGA Championship wasn’t his mugshot or the orange jumpsuit he wore, but the fact that a golfer who was often described as “boring” and “gentle” was ever arrested. This incident quickly became one of the biggest headlines of the year. However, Scheffler wasn’t alone during this moment; ESPN journalist Jeff Darlington witnessed the event. Thanks to his video and reporting, Darlington helped Scheffler during his release, and this has now pushed him up in the ranks.
At the 2024 PGA Championship, Jeff Darlington was on his way to cover the tournament when he arrived to find a traffic jam outside the golf course. Earlier that day, a fatal road accident took the life of a local man, John Mills, and delayed the play on the second day. The incident created a traffic jam where both Scheffler and Darlington sat. Scheffler tried to get around the traffic jam on his way to the course until a police officer told him to stop his car. The officer then took the golfer out of the car and put handcuffs on him—a moment that Jeff Darlington recorded in a video. But when he saw that the police were going to arrest the World No. 1 anyway, he began to report on the situation. The result?
Even if Darlington didn’t intend to exploit the situation, the story has benefited his career. Following a successful week of coverage at the Masters, he will be one of the network’s leading voices at this week’s PGA Championship in Charlotte, where he plans to conduct a reunion interview with Scottie Scheffler. But part of the reason this is good news is that Darlington took responsibility as a journalist and avoided sensationalizing the situation.
Talking about the situation during an exclusive with Golf.com, Darlington said, “I don’t care if it’s Scottie Scheffler or anybody, he deserves to have everybody calm down, assess the fact that maybe there were some misunderstandings about where people were supposed to go, and figure things out. It doesn’t matter who he is, everybody deserves that context.”
Interestingly, Scheffler has also acknowledged his support. In an interview with Pardon My Take in 2024, the golfer said, “He was worried that I thought that he was doing it to help himself. I was like ‘listen man, I’m glad that somebody saw what happened.’” Scheffler faced a charge of second-degree assault on a police officer and three third-degree charges. Police took him to a downtown police station, and they released him just over 70 minutes later. However, if not for Darlington’s reporting and video, the storyline would have read differently, as his eyewitness account of the arrest played a crucial role in securing Scheffler’s release.
But it’s been a year since the incident and Darlington will once again be present at the PGA Championship. Will he get to report Scottie Scheffler in a better situation this time?
Scottie Scheffler’s Amazing Stats May Give Jeff Darlington a New Storyline
For a golfer who is fresh off the win at CJ CUP Byron Nelson, the chances of winning are pretty high. Here’s why: Starting with his Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, Scheffler ranks 2nd with an impressive score of 0.716. This strong performance suggests that he consistently puts himself in advantageous positions off the tee, which is crucial at Quail Hollow, where strategic placement can lead to easier approaches to the greens.
However, his Driving Distance ranking at 80th with an average of 302.0 yards indicates that while he may not be the longest hitter, his accuracy and ability to navigate the course effectively still work in his favor. His Total Driving rank of 11th, with a score of 104, highlights his overall effectiveness in combining distance and accuracy. This balance is essential at Quail Hollow, where players need to find the fairways to set up their next shots. His Driving Accuracy, ranked 24th at 65.60%, shows that he keeps the ball in play, which is vital for avoiding trouble on a course that can penalize wayward shots.
Scheffler in motion at Quail Hollow. #PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/4RG8hriAwq
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 13, 2025
When it comes to Strokes Gained: Approach to the Green, Scheffler shines with a 1st place ranking at 1.224. This statistic indicates that he excels at hitting greens in regulation, which is crucial for scoring well. His GIR % ranks 7th at 71.45%, further emphasizing his ability to hit greens consistently and create more birdie opportunities. However, Scheffler, who thinks “it’s silly to not ride positive momentum,” will be one of many golfers Darlington will keep an eye on!
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