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Police Arrest Golf World No.1 Scottie Scheffler Outside PGA Course. Here’s The Reason

admin — Sat, 18 May 2024 01:43:01 +0000

Golf world number one Scottie Scheffler was handcuffed and arrested on Friday after allegedly dragging a police officer with his car while trying to avoid traffic controls outside the PGA Championship at Valhalla. In one of the strangest scenes ever at a major tournament, Scheffler was taken into custody by police, booked with a mugshot taken in an orange jumpsuit, released, returned to the course in time for his second round, then recovered well enough to fire a five-under par 66 and share third early in the second round.

“I still feel like my head is spinning a little bit but I was fortunate to be able to make it back out and play some golf,” Scheffler said. “I’ve kept myself in the tournament now with a pretty chaotic day.”

Scheffler, 27, was charged with felony assault on a police officer, criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic and released.

“My situation will get handled,” Scheffler said. “I can’t comment on any of the specifics, but it was just a huge misunderstanding that will get resolved I think fairly quickly.”

Scheffler was detained by Louisville Metro police after he drove onto curbing trying to get around a prior accident at the Valhalla entrance, one that resulted in the fatality of a pedestrian named as John Mills.

“My sympathies go out to the family of Mr. Mills,” Scheffler said. “I can’t imagine what they’re going through.”

A police report on the incident obtained by ESPN said arresting officer Bryan Gillis says Scheffler disobeyed orders to stop his car and accelerated, dragging the officer to the ground.

Gillis was hospitalized with pain, bruising and swelling in his left wrist and knee. An arraignment is set for Tuesday.

“I never intended to disregard any of the instructions,” Scheffler said in a statement before his round.

Scheffler, who won his second Masters title last month, arrived at Valhalla’s clubhouse about 30 minutes after his release and just under an hour before his start time in the second round, which began after an 80-minute delay due to the accident.

“We were devastated to learn that a worker with one of our vendors was tragically struck and killed by a shuttle bus,” the PGA of America said in a statement. “This is heartbreaking to all of us involved with the PGA Championship.”

The PGA of America later identified Mills and said of Scheffler, “We are fully cooperating as local authorities review what took place.”

‘I was pretty rattled’

Scheffler was driven from the booking, by the owner of Valhalla Golf Club according to ESPN, to the clubhouse, where he ate breakfast and changed into his golf apparel before going to the practice range to prepare for his round.

“I was pretty rattled to say the least,” Scheffler said. “I was shaking. I would say in shock and in fear. Coming out here and trying to play today was definitely a challenge, but I did my best.

“It probably took a few holes to feel normal.”

Fans cheered as Scheffler walked through the rain onto the course and gave him a huge ovation just before his first shot landed in the right rough on his way to an opening birdie.

“The fans were tremendous today,” Scheffler said. “I felt like they were cheering extra loud for me.”

Scheffler’s mugshot in an orange jumpsuit was posted by the Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections after he was booked. Some fans had it on T-shirts at the course.

Scheffler has won four of his past five starts, capturing Bay Hill and the Players in March, losing in a playoff at the Houston Open, then winning the Masters and Heritage last month.

American Mark Hubbard, on 133 with Scheffler, was amazed at his performance.

“I saw as everybody did the mug shot and the police report,” Hubbard said. “Unbelievable that he gets arrested and then goes out and shoots 66.”

Scheffler was the feel-good story of the week at Valhalla, hoping to win his third major title a week after becoming a father for the first time. His wife, Meredith, gave birth to son Bennett nine days ago.

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Seven Indian Golfers Including Diksha Dagar And Pranavi Urs To Tee Up In Germany

admin — Wed, 15 May 2024 12:41:27 +0000

Diksha Dagar and Pranavi Urs, the two in-form golfers will be in the group of seven Indians at the Euros 300,000 Amundi German Masters. Apart from Diksha and Pranavi, the other Indians are Tvesa Malik, Vani Kapoor, Amandeep Drall and Sneha Singh, who has received an invitation, as has amateur Avani Prashanth, who also played the event last year. There are 132 players in the 72-hole event at the Seddiner See course, just outside Berlin. The cut will be applied after 36 holes and the top-60 and ties will play the final two rounds.

Diksha Dagar will also represent India at the Olympic Games in Paris, where she will be joined by Aditi Ashok, who is playing on the LPGA Tour in the US. Last year Diksha was leading the event at one stage, before she finished third.

It was one of the three Top-3 finishes she had in 2023, when she also finished third in the LET Order of Merit. She won the Czech ladies Open and was third at the Amundi German Masters and the Hero Women’s Indian Open.

Pranavi Urs was T-7 last week in Aramco Series Korea, while Vani Kapoor, Tvesa Malik and Amandeep Drall are trying to get back they Tours cards for LET. Sneha Singh, winner of the Hero Order of Merit on the domestic Tour in 2023, will be hoping to make it big and amateur Avani Prashanth expected to turn pro at the end of the year is keen on making a mark among professionals, too.

The defending champion is Czech Republic’s Kristyna Napoleaova who beat England’s Cara Gainer in a playoff last year. The field also includes two former Order of Merit winners with reigning Race to Costa del Sol champion Trichat Cheenglab and South Africa’s Lee-Anne Pace.

Four winners from the 2024 LET season will be vying to add another title with England’s Bronte Law (Lalla Meryem Cup), Alexandra Forsterling (Aramco Team Series Presented by PIF – Tampa), Mariajo Uribe (Women’s NSW Open) and Manon De Roey (Investec SA Women’s Open) all in town.

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‘Top Players May Miss Paris Olympics’: Anirban Lahiri On LIV-OWGR Stand-Off

admin — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 13:26:57 +0000

India’s Anirban Lahiri feels many top-ranked golfers may not qualify for the Paris Olympics due to the stand-off between LIV Golf and Official World Golf Ranking, saying it could prove to be a wake-up call for the world to take some action. The 36-year-old Lahiri plays in the Saudi-funded LIV Golf, which is not recognised by the Official World Golf Ranking, making it extremely tough for him to grab one of the 60 spots at the Games. “There’s no point in speculating on what ifs. The reality of the situation is what it is. And within that framework, you have to find a way to qualify,” said Lahiri, who will be competing at the Hero India Open this week, told reporters.

“You know, it might be a situation where a lot of really good golfers are going to be in the top 10, who could be playing for their countries, don’t make it to Paris.

“And maybe that’s what’s needed for the world to wake up and say we need to do something. You know, there’s many ways to look at it.” Lahiri will have to earn the ranking points denied to the LIV Golf fraternity via the Asian Tour and also the Indian Open, where he will return after five years.

“Unless I play well this week and potentially one or two more events, there is not much to look forward to unfortunately. I’m trying my best obviously, that’s a big motivating factor for me to play well this week,” he said.

“I would love to go to Paris. Whether I play well or not play well doesn’t reflect in the current world golf rankings, unfortunately. But that’s how it is. So I have to do the best with whatever opportunities that I have. I can’t cry over it.

“When it (OWGR) gets fixed, how it gets fixed, does it needs to be fixed, those are different questions. Right now, I can control the next four rounds and then may be one or two event I can play, that’s what I can do, give my absolute best.” Lahiri, who has already participated in two Olympics, is currently the third Indian in the official rankings behind Shubhankar Sharma (202) and Gaganjeet Bhullar (240).

“I had two goes at it (Olympics), I have a whole list of excuses for not playing well (laughs) but then let bygones be bygones.

“It’s like a major championship, right? You want to have as many starts at majors as possible to contend and to win. So it’s the same thing. The Olympics are fewer and much further in between.

“I don’t know where my goal for the world of golf will be four years from now. So I need to focus on, as I said, potentially eight rounds or 12 rounds that I have between now and Paris that will get me there.” Lahiri played two events in February and then competed at Jeddah and Hong Kong this month in LIV but decided to skip the Macau event on the Asian Tour as his “body was feeling the burnt”.

“I feel I am playing really week. Honestly, my performance has been sporadic in LIV. I had just one good week but, by and large, I feel I played well. I haven’t scored my best. I have taken an extra week off to prepare for this week.

“I feel rested and focused and I want to go out there and contend and be in contention on Sunday. I would love nothing more and I feel I am ready for it.” After a phenomenal 2015, which saw him win twice on the European Tour, and the T5 finish at the PGA Championship aiding his elevation to the PGA Tour, Lahiri had a comparatively quiet phase, until he finished runner-up at The Players Championship in 2022.

It was a second runner-up finish since the Indian’s run at the 2017 Memorial Tournament. He then switched to LIV Golf but a title has eluded him although he came close in Boston in 2022 and Adelaide, Bedminister and Chicago in 2023.

“It’s been a while and nobody feels that more than I do. You know the weight of I don’t know how many dozens of seconds I’ve had, lays heaviest on my shoulders. So I need to get that off my back,” said Lahiri.

“It takes me back to when I was starting my career. So even though I’ve played 15-16 years, I’m still as desperate to win this week because I have to prove it to myself. I don’t have to prove it to anybody else.

“The first time I played here was 1999, so it goes down memory lanes. I came here with fewer hairs and more grey this year, so time has passed. It has been a fantastic ride. So it is an important week for me.”

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Golfer Avani Prashanth Tied For Lead At World Amateur Event, Team Lying Third

admin — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 14:25:26 +0000

Indian golfer Avani Prashanth continued her superb form by shooting a bogey-free 4-under 68 to take a share of the early lead in the first round of the individual section of the World Amateur Team Championship for Espirito Santo Trophy in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. Avan, who won the Queen Sirikit Cup and a pro title, while being an amateur at a LET Access Tour event in Europe, started on the 10th tee at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club and had two sets of back-to-back birdies, one on each half of the course. Avani, who also has Top-10 finishes in two other LET professional events in Kenya Ladies Open and Hero Women’s Indian Open, started with seven pars and then birdied the 17th and 18th.

She added two more birdies on fifth and sixth and finished with 68. She was tied for the top individual spot with Cayetana Fernandez Garcia-Poggio of Spain and Sara Byrne of Ireland.

India’s other women golfers, Mannat Brar (72) at T-35 and Nishna Patel (75) at T-76 had modest opening days.

In the team segment, India was tied third, with Spain in the lead at 7-under as two best players’ scores are counted from each team.

For Spain, the counting scores came from Cayetana Fernandez Garcia-Poggio and Julia Lopez Ramirez (69).

“The course set-up is such that it is difficult to keep the ball on the fairway for long hitters and then keeping it on the green was a challenge too. This meant my up and down game had to be sharp and I made 26 putts,” Avani said.

“I am very happy I was able to keep bogeys off my card and to play bogey free on such a course is always a great feeling.” Of the three co-leaders, only Avani was bogey-free.

After seven pars, Avani’s first birdie came following a superb approach from about 117 yards to four feet with a gap wedge. Immediately after that, she hit her third shot just short of the green on the gettable Par-5 on 18th and then made an up-and-down for birdie.

Her next birdie came on the fifth, where she hit a sand wedge from 105 yards to six inches for a tap-in birdie. A fourth birdie came on the sixth when she hit her second shot from 201 yards to 17 feet with a 5-Iron and holed it for her fourth birdie.

The second placed team was Ireland with Sara Byrne (68) and Beth Coulter (71) contributing and for India, the counting scores came from Avani (68) and Mannat (72).

India was tied for third with the star-studded Korean, German and Canadian teams. The highly favoured US and Swedish teams were tied 10th and Australia were tied seventh.

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Golf Industry Association Announces Annual Golf And Turf Summit 2023

admin — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 10:03:39 +0000

The Golf Industry Association (GIA) has announced the staging of its Annual GIA Golf and Turf Summit 2023. The Summit is scheduled to take place at the prestigious DLF Golf and Country Club on October 5th-6th. This event will bring together golf industry professionals, leaders, and enthusiasts from around the world, providing a valuable platform for sharing insights, networking, addressing key challenges and opportunities, and fostering innovation and growth in the golf industry.

The Summit will be inaugurated by Kavita Singh, President of the Women’s Golf Association of India (WGAI), with other notable speakers including Brijinder Singh, President of the Indian Golf Union, and Aakash Ohri, Joint Managing Director of DLF Home Developers Ltd.

In a first for the Summit, a dedicated GIA Greens Section has been established, and an educational conference for greenskeepers will run concurrently with the main event.

Over 50 greenskeepers will participate in a workshop led by Australian Agronomist Bruce MacPhee, enhancing their knowledge of various aspects of golf course maintenance. Greenskeepers are responsible for the maintenance of golf courses, encompassing a wide range of horticultural tasks, from tending to lush greens and fairways to precisely placing flagsticks and marking hazards. The event will also feature an exhibition where companies will showcase their latest offerings.

Anil Seolekar, President of GIA, expressed his excitement about hosting the Summit at the prestigious DLF Golf and Country Club, stating, “The GIA annual summit has grown year on year, as is evident from the list of confirmed speakers and global companies who have made this their annual stop in India. The two-day Summit promises to be a great platform for the exchange of ideas, networking, discussions, and showcasing of the latest technology by various companies. The GIA continues to be the catalyst for the growth of golf and the business of golf in India.”

GIA is collaborating with other golfing associations, namely PGTI, WGAI, and IGU, in support of the Summit, as all share the definite purpose of growing the game.

The Summit will feature notable international speakers from the World Golf Industry who will share their expertise on various golf-related topics. Many exhibitors will also highlight their contributions to the ‘Make in India’ initiative, aligning their efforts with leading international brands.

Keynote speakers include Mike Sebastian, CEO of Asian Golf, Singapore, Gregg Patterson, Founder of Tribal Magic, Chris Gray, Head of Sustainable Golf & Agronomy, Asia Pacific, R&A, and Bruce MacPhee, Senior Agronomist at ASTMA. Leading companies such as Toro, Rainbird, Jacobsen, EZGO, Wiedenmann, and fertilizer manufacturers will share their valuable insights into turf maintenance.

The event will be attended by prominent bureaucrats from various ministries, golf course owners, industry stakeholders, turf care equipment manufacturers, golf cart producers, irrigation experts, and suppliers of golf equipment and accessories.

GIA, established in 2011, was founded by Anirudha (Anil) Seolekar of Oxford Golf Resort, serving as the association’s Founder President, along with Philip Ryan of PCD Golf Design, Australia. GIA was created to provide a platform for golf courses and business vendors in the industry, contributing to the growth of golf in India.

As a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the game and industry of golf and its associated businesses, GIA is committed to various endeavors. These include the establishment of golf courses, facilitating government interactions for import concessions, attracting investments for new golf courses and clubs, and fostering golf tourism in India. Additionally, GIA conducts research to document the growth of the golf economy in India.

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