Scheffler arrest drove PGA Championship ratings spike

LOUISVILLE: Scottie Scheffler’s arrest drama contributed to an 18 percent viewership boost for Friday’s second round of the PGA Championship, Sports Business Journal reported on Tuesday.

The second round from Valhalla in Louisville, Ky., averaged 1.61 million viewers on ESPN from noon to 8 p.m. ET, up from 1.37 million for the same slot for the 2023 tournament at Oak Hill in New York.

Scheffler, 27, was arrested in the pre-dawn hours Friday, shortly after arriving at the golf course, and charged with felony assault of a police officer. He also was charged with third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from officers directing traffic. Louisville police said an officer was “dragged to the ground” by a vehicle driven by Scheffler, who was attempting to bypass a backup caused by the fatal accident earlier that morning.