World No 1’s unlikely brush with the law has raised his profile to a level that his playing abilities alone would never be able to

For 27 years, 10 months, and 26 days the most interesting thing about Scottie Scheffler was his golf. And given that’s what he’s paid for, you might think it ought to be enough. But the truth is that ever since Scheffler rose to the top of the world rankings in March 2022 the game has wanted more from him. Trouble is, besides his faith, his family, and his attachment to a beaten-up old 2012 GMC Yukon, he does not have much else to give. Whisper it, but the truth is that a lot of people in the game worry that Scheffler, who many reckon is the best player of his generation, is just a little bit too boring to carry the sport.

And then he decided to take a detour into the westbound lane on his way through the gates to Valhalla on Friday morning. Last month Scheffler explained that he believed his victory at the Masters was meant to be because God had laid out “today’s plans many years ago, and I could do nothing to mess them up”. Well, either the Lord also takes his marching orders from Kentucky traffic cops, or this is more proof, if we needed it, that he moves in mysterious ways.

The world No 1 was arrested and charged after extraordinary early-morning scenes but he did not let that affect this game

“I did spend some time stretching in a jail cell. That was the start of my warmup.”

If ever a quote summed up the jaw-dropping nature of Friday at the 106th US PGA Championship, this was it.

• Scheffler shines at Valhalla after ‘shock and fear’ of arrest
• World No 1 is charged with assaulting police officer
• Live leaderboard | And feel free to drop Matt an email

Sky Sports commentator Wayne Riley has been on the driving range to gauge opinion among the early starters. “The energy is zapped,” he reports. His Sky colleague Rich Beem is competing this week as a former champion, and Beem told Riley that “no-one had seen Scottie Scheffler … everyone was on their phone … they’d hit a shot, hit a putt, then look on their phone … they were caring for Scottie Scheffler, they were worried.”

Riley also spoke of the “person who was coming to the golf, if he was coming, lost his life … that is a terrible thing … you’re looking forward to the PGA Championship here at Valhalla and someone is not going to be with us today … so many players have said to me, ‘I can’t believe they’re actually playing today’ … I’m getting that vibe … I’m getting a lot of vibe that people are going ‘woah, somebody’s lost their life here today, Scottie has been taken away, do we go into Monday?’ ”

• World No 1 released and will play second round at Valhalla
• Play delayed after pedestrian killed by shuttle bus near course
• Follow live updates, plus news from round two of the US PGA

The world No 1, Scottie Scheffler, has returned to Valhalla an hour before his revised tee-time for the second round of the US PGA Championship after an extraordinary sequence of events as he tried to drive into the course on Friday morning in which he was arrested, detained and booked on four separate charges by police.

Dramatic footage showed the golfer being led away in handcuffs and eye witnesses said police and Scheffler became involved in a misunderstanding over traffic flow which saw him removed from his tournament vehicle.

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If, by Rory McIlroy’s candid admission, this was a “scrappy” opening to his US PGA Championship then the remainder of the Valhalla field has cause to worry. A five under par 66 from McIlroy in Kentucky served as the latest indication he is close to ending an occasionally painful wait for a fifth major title that stretches back to 2014.

McIlroy’s caution was understandable. The 35-year-old’s putter kept his head above water before a three-hole stretch of birdies from the 5th, McIlroy’s 14th. The Northern Irishman chipped in at the 6th. The upshot was an inward half of 31, which leaves McIlroy four from Xander Schauffele, the first-round leader.

• Day one updates from Valhalla, the second major of year
• Live scoreboard | And feel free to drop Matt an email

Tiger’s tee shot at the par-three 11th is long and to the right. He can’t get anywhere close with his wedge out of the thick cabbage, and drops to +1. Meanwhile a slow start for another former champion, Shaun Micheel. Three bogeys in the opening five holes and the 2003 winner (and 2006 runner-up) is +3 in short order.

Another birdie for Doug Ghim! He rattles in a 30-footer across 13 and the 28-year-old from Illinois, making his PGA debut this week, hits the front of his own. That’s because Luke Donald visits a native area down the left side of 5, and ends up looking at a 60-footer to save his par. He does pretty well to limit the damage to bogey. But up on 10, the in-form Rory McIlroy opens with birdie, that aforementioned loose tee shot worrying him not one jot.

McIlroy prepares for US PGA Championship at Valhalla, where he won the tournament in 2014, after back-to-back wins

In normal circumstances, Rory McIlroy returning to a scene of triumph would be cause for deep reflection. McIlroy finished in darkness at Valhalla when claiming the US PGA Championship of 2014, in what provided a theatric backdrop to his fourth and hitherto last success in one of golf’s majors. McIlroy landed back in Louisville, Kentucky, this week with back-to-back PGA Tour wins to his name.

These are no ordinary times. A McIlroy media appearance on the eve of this US PGA lasted a mere nine minutes and seven questions from a packed floor. The appearance of news on Tuesday that 24 hours earlier the 35-year-old had filed for divorce from his wife of seven years has suddenly distorted the scene around McIlroy. On Sunday, McIlroy stood with trophy aloft at Quail Hollow after a dominant closing 18 holes.