2024 has been a year filled with intriguing stories, both on and off the golf courses. Scottie Scheffler’s exceptional performance on the field garnered attention, but his off-course actions also made headlines.
As 2024 draws to a close, here are some of the most discussed off-course golf stories from the year:
Top 5 off-course golf storylines from the 2024 season
1. Scottie Scheffler’s arrest
Scottie Scheffler was arrested by the Louisville Metro Police on his way to the Valhalla Golf Course in May. While en route to the 2024 PGA Championship venue, the World No. 1 reportedly violated traffic laws and allegedly injured a police officer.
The American golfer faced charges of third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, second-degree assault, and traffic violations. After spending a few hours in jail, he was released and even managed to tee off for the second round of the PGA Championship. Remarkably, the charges against him were later dropped.
2. Rory McIlroy’s divorce reports
Rory McIlroy’s personal life made headlines when reports surfaced in May that the Northern Irish golfer had filed for divorce from his wife, Erica Stoll.
The highly publicized divorce case was later dropped, and in June 2024, the couple reconciled. McIlroy refrained from discussing his personal life during the divorce rumors but opened up after news of their reunion, stating:
“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
Earlier this year, Tiger Woods surprised the golf world by parting ways with Nike after 27 years. Subsequently, he announced his own apparel line, “Sun Day Red,” in partnership with TaylorMade. The new apparel line gained attention for its high-priced products later in the year.
4. Bryson DeChambeau teams up with Donald Trump for surprising collaboration
Another intriguing off-course golf story from 2024 was the unexpected collaboration between LIV golfer Bryson DeChambeau and Donald Trump. They joined forces for DeChambeau’s popular Break 50 channel ahead of the U.S. Presidential election.
The video of their challenge garnered a significant number of views on YouTube, surpassing 13.5 million at the time of writing.
5. Matt Fitzpatrick tied the knot with Katherine Gaal
English golfer Matt Fitzpatrick had a special year in 2024 as he exchanged vows with his long-time girlfriend, Katherine Gaal, in October.
The couple, who had been dating for some time, went public with their relationship on Instagram in January 2023. Finally, in 2024, they tied the knot.
Edited by Eeshaan Tiwary
