The year 2024 was filled with intriguing stories, on and off the golf course. On the court, Scottie Scheffler was phenomenal with his play and made headlines all year. However, he was also talked about off the track.
The American golfer was arrested and spent several hours in jail earlier this year. As 2024 draws to a close, below are some of the most talked about off-course golf stories of 2024.
Top 5 off-course golf stories from the 2024 season
1. Arrest of Scottie Scheffler
Scottie Scheffler was taken into custody by Louisville Metro Police while walking toward the Valhalla Golf Course in May. While on his way to the venue of the 2024 PGA Championship, the world No. 1 allegedly broke 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 a traffic violation. He spent several hours in jail, but was later released and even played in the second round of the PGA Championship. In fact, the charges against the golfer were later dropped.
2. Rory McIlroy Divorce Reports
Rory McIlroy’s personal life made 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 didn’t talk much about his private life during the divorce rumors, but after news of the reconciliation spread, he opened up about his private life. He said (via Times Now News):
“Over the past few weeks, Erica and I have realized that our best future is together as a family. Fortunately, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a fresh start.”
3. Tiger Woods launched Sun Day Red
Tiger Woods shocked many in the golf world earlier this year when he parted ways with Nike after 27 years. However, soon after, he announced his own clothing line called “Sun Day Red”, in collaboration with TaylorMade. The new outfit made headlines later in the year for their high-priced products.
4. Bryson DeChambeau teams up with Donald Trump for a surprise collaboration
Another interesting off-course golf story from 2024 was the unexpected collaboration between LIV golfer Bryson DeChambeau and Donald Trump. They collaborated for the popular golf channel LIV Break 50 ahead of the US presidential election.
The video of the two facing the challenge has garnered a significant number of views on YouTube. At the time of writing, it has more than 13.5 million views.
5. Matt Fitzpatrick married Katherine Gaal
This year was special for the English golfer Matt Fitzpatrick. In October 2024, he married his longtime girlfriend, Katherine Gaal.
The couple dated for a while, and in January 2023 they made their relationship public on Instagram. They finally got married in 2024.
Edited by Eeshaan Tiwary
