LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Scottie Scheffler was lying on a mat in a downtown Louisville jail cell Friday morning wondering how things had gone so wrong.

The best golfer in the world knew it was all a "big misunderstanding," but the TV on the other side of the bars was showing ESPN, and it was him they were talking about. His heart was still racing.

Maybe an hour earlier, Scheffler was sitting alone, waiting to be booked. He was shaking, so he waved to an officer for help.

"'Excuse me,'" Scheffler said he called out to a nearby officer. "'Can you just come hang out with me for a few minutes so I can calm down?'"

He did calm down, and what transpired over the next six hours was proof that the mugshot that came across your phone when you woke up Friday morning was that of the best golfer of his generation.

Scheffler loves his routine, so when he showed up outside the gates at Valhalla nearly three hours before his tee time, he couldn't wait to eat breakfast, hit the gym and get on the range. About two hours later, he instead began that routine in a cell, stretching and trying to lower his heart rate, wondering if he'd be released in time to make his 10:08 a.m. tee time.

He made it and fired a 5-under 66, surging up the leaderboard in the second round of the PGA Championship in what has to be one of the most bizarre and impressive rounds of golf in recent memory. The round was a master class in what Scheffler does best. He waltzed around Valhalla like it was a day at home in Dallas playing with his buddies, in total control of his golf ball and his mind.

"It was kind of nice just to be out there inside the ropes competing," Scheffler told reporters after the round. "It's one of my favorite things in the world to do, so I was fortunate to be able to come out here and do it again today."

With thousands of people lining his first hole, the 10th, Scheffler made birdie to the roar of a crowd shouting "Scottie! Scottie! Scottie!" Everywhere he went, the crowds were massive. His arrest was international news by 9 a.m., and, within an hour, Scheffler was the fan favorite in Louisville.

"The fans were tremendous today," he said. "I felt like they were cheering extra loud for me today. I really do. I know sometimes you can't really see it on my face, but I really do enjoy playing in front of the fans."

IMAGES | Scottie Scheffler draws huge crowd on 2nd round of PGA Championship at Valhalla

A bogey on 11 was followed by a 27-foot birdie putt on 12, another on 18 and three more on the front nine, a 66 that looked like a walk in the park. 

After a "chaotic" morning that included him shedding an untucked polo shirt for an orange jumpsuit, Scheffler looked every bit like a guy whose play this year is among the best statistical stretches in the history of the game. The absurdity of the day — going from a normal morning to brief incarceration to world-class athletic performance in front of tens of thousands of people — cannot be overstated.

"I definitely never imagined ever going to jail and I definitely never imagined going to jail the morning before one of my tee times," he said. "... I was grateful to be able to go out there and compete, and it was definitely a nice round of golf."

'I didn't know what was going on'

The morning began in a shocking and tragic series of events. A Crestwood man, 69-year-old John Mills, was crossing Shelbyville Road around 5 a.m. to work at Valhalla as a security guard when he was hit by a shuttle bus. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Scheffler, around 7:30 a.m., showed up in his complimentary Lexus SUV and attempted to enter the gates as other players said they did before him. One officer, according to his attorney, Steve Romines, directed Scheffler to go around and into the facility. The arresting officer was unaware and stopped him.

"Scottie didn't know what was going on," Romines said.

According to the arrest report, Louisville Metro Police Detective Bryan Gillis was "in full LMPD uniform and a hi-visibility yellow reflective rain jacket" when he stopped Scheffler and "attempted to give instructions," according to the report.

"Subject refused to comply and accelerated forward, dragging Detective Gillis to the ground," police allege in the arrest report.

There are conflicting reports of what happened between Scheffler and Gillis, and Romines said the allegations in the citation are "false."

"I was just so confused at what was happening at the time," Scheffler told reporters after his round. "I didn't know what time it was. I didn't know what was going on."

Scheffler was charged with felony assault of a police officer, criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from officers directing traffic, according to court records.

'I'm sorry'

Scheffler's physical skills are evident, but his mind is remarkable. Less than a week after he and his wife welcomed their first child, a son, he left home and ended up with a viral mugshot. He then went out and played one of the best rounds of the day in a major championship.

"I feel like my head is still spinning. I can't really explain what happened this morning," he said. "I was fortunate to be able to make it back out and play some golf today."

Scheffler believes it all will be resolved soon, so much so that after his round Friday afternoon, he almost seemed unaffected by it all. He didn't really want to talk about his round and he didn't speak to exactly what happened between him and the officer, likely on the advice of Romines.

But before he took any questions from reporters, Scheffler paused to send well-wishes to Mills' family. After sitting in a jail cell downtown, rushing to the golf course, competing in a major championship and walking directly into the interview room, he found time to learn the name of the man who was killed outside the gates on a dark, rainy morning.

"I can't imagine what they're going through this morning," he said. "One day, he's heading to the golf course to watch a tournament. A few moments later, he's trying to cross the street and now he's no longer with us. I can't imagine what they're going through. I feel for them. I'm sorry."

After leaving the interview room, Scheffler spent nearly an hour on the practice range and short game area. When he was done, he walked up the hill toward the Valhalla clubhouse. He stopped, first, and shook every officer's hand before going inside.

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