LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Scottie Scheffler has a new caddie carrying his bag for the third round of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club, and good reason for it.
Scheffler, who was arrested outside of the golf course after allegedly attempting to drive around traffic that resulted from a pedestrian fatality investigation early Friday morning, typically has veteran caddie Ted Scott on the bag. They’ve made an incredible partnership since joining forces in late 2021, including two wins at Augusta National. Scott isn’t sick, and his absence has nothing to do with Friday’s incident; Scott’s daughter is celebrating her high school graduation and he flew home to be with her.
“That’s something we talked about from the beginning of our relationship,” Scheffler said on Tuesday. “Family always comes first, and it’s the same thing for me as it is for my caddie. It was a pretty easy decision. He told me at the beginning of this year that was the date, so I got a backup caddie lined up. One of my buddies is going to carry the bag on Saturday, and then Ted will be back for Sunday’s round.”
That longtime friend is Brad Payne, who is a PGA Tour chaplain and played golf at Pepperdine University, and he will assume the caddie duties for Scheffler.
Scheffler was asked if Payne was one of his buddies who stayed with him during the Masters while Scheffler’s wife, Meredith, was back home in Dallas awaiting the birth of their first child. Scheffler smiled and said of Payne, “I trust him to rake a bunker more than my buddies.”
The Scheffler’s welcomed the arrival of their son, Bennett, on May 8.
Scheffler somehow managed to shoot 66 on Friday after being arrested on four charges, including reckless driving. But without his trusted caddie on Saturday, he’s struggled in the early going. He’s 4 over through his first four holes.
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