2024 has been filled with intriguing stories, on and off the golf courses. On the field, Scottie Scheffler was phenomenal with his game and was in the headlines throughout the year. However, he became the talk of the town off the course as well.
The American golfer was arrested and spent some hours in jail earlier this year. As 2024 is heading for closure, below are some of the most talked-about off-course golf stories from 2024.
Top 5 off-course golf storylines from the 2024 season
1. Scottie Scheffler’s arrest
Scottie Scheffler was detained by the Louisville Metro Police as he was headed to the Valhalla Golf Course in May. While heading to the venue of the 2024 PGA Championship, the World No. 1 had reportedly broken traffic rules and allegedly injured a police officer.
The American was arrested on charges of third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, second-degree assault, and breaking traffic rules. He spent a few hours in jail but was later released and even teed off for the second round of the PGA Championship. Notably, the charges against the golfer were later dropped.
2. Rory McIlroy’s divorce reports
Rory McIlroy’s personal life was in the headlines earlier this year. In May, it was reported that the Northern Irish golfer had filed for divorce from his wife, Erica Stoll.
However, the highly publicized divorce case was dropped, and in June 2024, the couple rekindled their romance. McIlroy did not talk much about his personal life while the divorce rumors were swirling around, but after the reconciliation news spread, he opened up about his personal life. He said (via Times Now News):
“Over the past weeks, Erica and I have realized that our best future was as a family together. Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning.”
3. Tiger Woods launched Sun Day Red
Tiger Woods shocked many in the golf world earlier this year after he parted ways with Nike after 27 years. However, soon after he announced his own apparel line called “Sun Day Red,” in collaboration with TaylorMade. The new apparel made headlines later in the year for its high-priced products.
4. Bryson DeChambeau teams up with Donald Trump for surprising collaboration
Another interesting off-course golf story from 2024 was the unexpected collaboration of LIV golfer Bryson DeChambeau and Donald Trump. They collaborated for the LIV golfer’s popular Break 50 channel ahead of the U.S. Presidential election.
The video of the two taking on the Challenge accumulated a significant number of views on YouTube. At the time of writing, it has more than 13.5 million views.
5. Matt Fitzpatrick tied the knot with Katherine Gaal
This year was a special one for English golfer Matt Fitzpatrick. In October 2024, he tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend, Katherine Gaal.
The couple had been dating for a while, and in January 2023, they made their relationship public on Instagram. Finally, in 2024, they tied the knot.
Edited by Eeshaan Tiwary
