Latest news with #JohnMills
News18
6 days ago
- Business
- News18
Gold Prices May Fall Below Rs 85,000 In 2 Months: What's Behind The Big Decline?
Last Updated: Gold prices may fall by 12-15% in the next two months, says Quant Mutual Fund. Currently, 24-carat gold is Rs 98,500 per 10 grams in Delhi. Gold Rate Prediction: After an impressive upside move in the past few months, gold prices might fall by 12-15% in the next two months, according to brokerage house Quant Mutual Fund. Currently, the price of 24-carat gold stands at Rs 98,500 (without 3% GST) per 10 grams in Delhi. 'Gold has peaked out and has the potential to correct by 12-15% in dollar terms over the next two months. However, our medium-term and long-term views are equally constructive, and we reiterate that a meaningful percentage of your portfolio should be dedicated towards precious metals," Quant Mutual Fund stated in its latest 'Factsheet for June 2025'. A US-based Morningstar analyst has already forecasted a 38% decline over the next few years. If this becomes true, gold prices in India could plummet to Rs 56,000 per 10 grams. John Mills has provided several significant reasons for this anticipated drop in gold prices. An increase in supply is one of the reasons for the expected fall in gold prices. Gold prices have jumped over 34% this year, surpassing other asset classes in gains. The bullion rates have jumped in the past few months due to increased investor demand for safe-haven assets amid escalating geopolitical and economic uncertainties. Investor sentiment turned defensive on the back of US President Donald Trump's tariff decisions, rekindling trade war concerns with China. Escalating tensions in the Russia-Ukraine conflict further strengthened the safe-haven demand. The price rise is adversely affecting retailers. According to the India Bullion & Jewellers Association (IBJA), gold jewellery sales in India dropped 30% to 1,600 kg on average in the past fortnight. After the 15% decline (as anticipated by Quant MF), gold prices might fall below Rs 85,000 per 10 grams. In the international market, spot gold was up 0.3% at $3,361.73 an ounce, as of 1003 GMT. US gold futures firmed 0.3% to $3,385.80. US President Donald Trump doubled its tariffs on steel and aluminium imports on Wednesday, the same day the Trump administration expects trading partners to make 'best offers" to avoid other punishing import levies from taking effect in early July. He said that Chinese President Xi Jinping is tough and 'extremely hard to make a deal with," days after the US President accused China of violating an agreement to roll back tariffs and trade restrictions. The focus will be on Friday's US non-farm payrolls data for more cues on the Federal Reserve's policy path. Fed officials have reiterated their cautious policy stance, citing risks from trade tensions and economic uncertainty. 'If the data is stronger than expected, interest rate cut expectations are likely to wane, which would weigh on the gold price," said Commerzbank analyst Carsten Fritsch, as per Reuters. 'We see gold trading in a range between $3,300 and $3,400 per troy ounce in the short term." Gold, a safe-haven asset during times of political and economic uncertainty, tends to thrive in a low-interest-rate environment.
Sky News AU
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Ex-US military official spears 'soft tyranny' planted by Australia's political leaders who exploited the COVID era for their own gain
Over the course of the last day, I have had seven people send me the same post from Substack. That post titled: 'Australia Has Been Lost.' All seven individuals are not only former high level U.S. government officials, but highly successful in the corporate world. Men and women who truly believe – as the piece suggests – 'That a soft tyranny has grown in Australia.' Except… not one of them believes it is 'soft.' All believe it is pervasive and purposefully unwinding the freedoms of the Australia people. Hence, why they are forwarding the Substack piece to me and others on the right who have media or information platforms. Naturally, a direct connection between loss of liberty and the draconian edicts enacted by wannabe dictators on the left who sought to exploit the COVID panic they invented, planted, and spread to not only grow their powerbase, but shutdown the voice of the people, was made in the Substack piece written by retired US colonel John Mills that is now circulating in conservative circles over in America: 'Those evil days of 2020 started with the mass psychosis of the Wuhan Lab 'Leak.' The harsh responses to questioning the source of the virus, the reason for the lockdowns, and the vaccine mandates have been conveniently forgotten… In America, we were able to overcome the narrative... Australia has not…You're not allowed to say certain things…You can't talk about... the pervasive influence of the Chinese Communist Party, or the destruction of individual rights and economic opportunities…' It is no exaggeration to say that countless conservatives, Republicans, and everyday Americans were shocked to witness how fast Australia became 'Ground Zero' for such totalitarian freedom robbing dictates. As one former Australia official told me at the time: 'It was deeply disturbing to see how fast the 'inner-Gestapo' appeared in some of our police and leaders.' To that point and to this very day, I am haunted by a video from September of 2021 from Melbourne's Flinders Street Station where a Melbourne police officer wraps his arms around the arms of a of a young man protesting the COVID restrictions and throws him to the tiled floor where his unprotected head seemingly makes violent contact with the tiles. Tragically, four years after that shocking incident, the young man died. The cause of death has not been disclosed. The reality is that police officers, for the most part, do come from the working-class. And yet – counterintuitively to me and others I speak with - it was certain police officers – be they in Australia, the United Kingdom, or Canada – who seemingly at the height of the purposefully generated COVID panic, stood against fellow working-class citizens simply worried about keeping their jobs, providing for their families, and protecting their freedoms. Why? 'Just following orders' does not cut it. Of course, coming up on five years after the purposefully enacted draconian dictates from power-hungry bureaucrats and 'leaders' on the left seeking to silence the will of the people, we have more and more irrefutable evidence which has come out debunking much of that forced hysteria. Irrefutable evidence which much of the far-left media in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and elsewhere is still trying to censor. Here in the United States, it was recently reported that from this point on, 'Healthy Americans under 65 who want an annual COVID vaccine will be out of luck under a new Food and Drug Administration policy.' As the report states "While the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will still allow such shots for seniors and other 'high-risk' populations, they will now hold off on approving them for anyone else." Why? Because they rightfully believe they need more robust testing to demonstrate the benefits to low risk groups before being injected into human beings. Something which logic and common sense screams out should have been done in the first place. But here we are. Potentially millions of people around the world unnecessarily suffered a range of adverse effects from the continually pushed, hundreds of billions in profit-making COVID jabs. Included in those millions being three people from my greater family who were rushed into emergency rooms minutes after getting the shot. At the very height of that forced and manipulated panic, hundreds of thousands in Australia did take to the streets to protest against the lockdowns, the loss of freedoms, the masking of children, and the forced jabs. It was police officers who stood in their way. Police officers who did come from their working-class communities. So…is it true? Is it now a foregone conclusion that 'Australia Has Been Lost?' Well, one of the major 'canary in the coal mine' litmus tests being if working-class police officers enthusiastically decide to side with the power-hungry, freedom-robbing entrenched-elites over working class Australians desperate for liberty, then all indeed, may be lost . Has Australia been lost? Not yet, but a growing number do see it teetering on the edge. Douglas MacKinnon is a former White House and Pentagon official and author of the book: 'The 56 – Liberty Lessons from those who risked all to sign The Declaration of Independence'.
BBC News
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Eric Morcambe: Display gives 'glimpse behind the glasses' of comedian
An exhibition of letters that "give a glimpse behind the glasses" of comedian Eric Morecambe has gone on display in his home Library is showcasing the letters, bought by Manchester historian David Harrop earlier this the correspondence are letters between Morecambe, who died in 1984, and the football pundit Jimmy Hill, actor Sir John Mills and comedy writer Barry whose real name was Eric Bartholomew, was one half of the legendary comic double act Morecambe & Wise with his partner Ernie Wise. A record 28m viewers watched their 1977 Christmas show on BBC Till, library manager, told BBC Radio Lancashire: "There is absolutely all sorts here – they give a glimpse behind the glasses."The exhibits include an invite from Cryer to attend a comedy auction and another from actor Sir John Mills inviting him to join a select private members' of the letters is from Morecambe's mother Sadie congratulating his fiancé and later wife Joan on their engagement."He was a legend everybody loved him," said Mr Till."In Morecambe today no matter how old you are everyone's heard of Eric – even the school children who come to visit the library," he added. Mr Harrop, who runs the Manchester Postal Museum which is based in Southern Cemetery in Chorlton, said he was pleased to loan the letters to the library."When they came up for auction it was a chance too good to miss," he exhibition, which includes other memorabilia, ends in September. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Q2 2025 Alico Inc Earnings Call
John Mills; Investor relations; Alico Inc John Kiernan; President, Chief Executive Officer, Director; Alico Inc Bradley Heine; Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer; Alico Inc Brandon Rogers; Analyst; ROTH Capital Partners Operator (Operator Instructions). Good morning and welcome to Alico's second quarter 2025 earnings call. Currently, all participants are in a listen-only mode. As a reminder, today's conference is being recorded. I would now like to turn the call over to your host John Mills, managing partner at ICR. John Mills Good morning, everyone and thank you for joining us for Alico's second quarter fiscal year 2025 conference call. On the call today are John Kiernan, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Brad Heine, Chief Financial Officer. By now everyone should have access to the second quarter fiscal year 2025 earnings release, which went out yesterday at approximately 5 p.m. Eastern time. If you've not had a chance to view the release, it's available in the investor relations portion of the company's website at This call is being webcast, and a replay will be available on Alico's website as well. Before we begin, we'd like to remind everyone that the prepared remarks contain forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to risk, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Important factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include risks detailed in the company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q. Annual reports on Form 10-K, current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments thereto filed with the SEC and those mentioned in the earnings release. The company undertakes no obligation to subsequently update or revise the forward-looking statements made on today's call, except as required by law. During this call, the company may also discuss non-GAAP financial measures including EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, and net debt. For more details on these measures, please refer to the company's press release issued yesterday. And with that, it is my pleasure to turn the call of the company's President and CEO, Mr. John Kiernan. John Kiernan Thank you, John. Good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining us Alico's second quarter of fiscal year 2025 earnings call. I'd like to update you on the progress we've made in executing our strategic transformation since our announcement in January at the end of April, we completed our fiscal year 2025 harvest. Effectively concluding the majority of our capital investment in citrus operations. We will conduct a final harvest on the majority of the remaining 3,783 acres of operational citrus groves in fiscal year 2026. With this transition, we've reduced our workforce from approximately 200 employees to 25 employees, aligning our organizational structure with our transformed business model and significantly lowering operating expenses. On the land monetization front. We've completed the sale of 2,100 acres this year as part of our strategy to unlock the value of our substantial real estate portfolio. We previously announced our expectation to realize approximately $20 million in land sales this fiscal year based upon transactions that are under option agreements or have been negotiated and are expected to close this year. We are now raising our outlook to potentially have an additional $30 million of land sales or more this fiscal year, which would be a 150% increase from our prior guidance for fiscal year 2025 expected land sales. This acceleration in land sales could dramatically improve our annual adjusted EBITDA and strengthen our ability to return capital to shareholders. We've also been actively engaged with agricultural operators throughout Florida to diversify our remaining agricultural activities. These discussions have focused on potential sod production. Expanding sand mining activities and leases to grow seasonal crops such as corn, sugar cane, and a variety of fruits and vegetables. We have negotiated agreements to lease approximately 5,250 acres of different groves to third party citrus growers next season. We are also in discussions or under contract with other vegetable and fruit growers who are clearing as many as 1,000 acres for us this season in lieu of lease payments. Our entitlement work for our identified near-term development properties is progressing under the guidance of Mitch Hutchcraft, our Executive Vice President of Land Management. Mitch brings nearly four decades of experience and entitlement work throughout Florida. His deep expertise in navigating the complex rezoning and land use approval processes in Florida is invaluable as we work to unlock the development potential of our properties. The Corkscrew Grove villages development application we filed in March represents a significant milestone in our transformation. This property located in northwest Collier County at the strategic intersection of Collier, Lee, and Hendry counties. Is being planned for two mixed use master planned communities consisting of approximately 1,500 acres each. As envisioned, the project will not only provide future residents with ample opportunities to live, work, and play in a growing part of Collier County, but will also enhance public infrastructure, permanently protect thousands of acres of sensitive land and enhance wetlands and water resources. The villages will provide significant economic benefit to the region. And improvements will come at no additional cost to Collier County taxpayers. We expect the East and West Villages will each accommodate approximately 4,500 homes 280,000 square feet of commercial space and approximately 70,000 square feet of civic amenities including village greens, trails, lakes, and preserves. We are thoughtfully integrating residential, commercial, and civic spaces to create a place where people can live and work, all while enhancing convenience and providing shopping alternatives for residents of eastern Lee County northern Collier and Southern Hendry. Our development application was submitted to Collier County for local approval for the first two villages. While the long term vision for Corkscrew villages includes two villages, our current application with Collier County only seeks approval for the East Village as the first step of a multi-phase project. This current process is anticipated to take approximately one year with the final decision expected in 2026. Additionally, we have also submitted applications to the South Florida Water Management District and the US Army Corps of Engineers for the entire Corkscrew village property construction on East Villages could begin in 2028 or 2029 if all approvals are granted. As part of the company's long-term planning efforts. We took the proactive step in January 2025 to seek legislative approval from the Florida legislature to establish the Corkscrew Grove stewardship District. Upon approval, the Corkscrew Grove Stewardship District will assist the Alico in its efforts to effectively finance infrastructure, help restore and manage natural areas and oversee the administration of the plaster planned communities and lands within the district. Importantly, our development approach incorporates strategies proposed by the Florida Wildlife Corridor and the Collier Rural Land Stewardship Area program with plans to enhance and preserve over 6,000 acres for wildlife corridors and regional connected habitat. This commitment to environmental stewardship reflects our long-standing role as responsible land managers. We are also advancing entitlement work for our Bonnet Lake, Saddlebag Grove, and Plant world properties which collectively represent additional development opportunities across different Florida counties. While the entitlement process involves many variables and stakeholders that can affect timing, we're taking a methodical approach to navigate these complexities. Collectively, these four near-term development properties totaling approximately 5,500 acres are estimated to be worth between $335 million and $380 million in present value dollars and could be realized within the next five years. This represents significant value for our shareholders from just 10% of our land holdings. To support our evolving business model, we recently amended our credit agreement effective March 31, 2025. This amendment adjusts certain financial covenants and reduces crop and tree insurance coverage requirements. Which is expected to result in cost savings while providing us with the flexibility needed to execute our transformation. We've also expanded our capital allocation strategy with the announcement of a $50 million share repurchase program. As our cash balance increases through land sales and the establishment of diversified agricultural operations. We plan to maintain a balanced approach to capital deployment, including our quarterly dividend, opportunistic share repurchases, and strategic debt reduction. With these strategic initiatives well underway, I'm pleased with the progress we've made in positioning Alico for sustainable long-term growth. To provide more detail on our financial performance and the impact of these transformative steps on our balance sheet. I will now turn it over to our CFO, Brad Heine. Bradley Heine Thank you, John. Good morning, everyone. The second fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2025. Revenue decreased 1% to $18 million compared to $18.1 million for the prior year period. For the six months ended March 31, 2025, revenue decreased 9% to $34.9 million. Compared to $32.1 million for the prior year period. For the 3 months and 6 months ended March 31, 2025, Alico citrus harvested approximately [4.7 million and 8.7 million pound solids of fruit respectively compared to 5.8 million and 10.4 million pound solids of fruit] in the same periods of the prior fiscal year. As expected, harvest volumes in 2025 were lower compared to 2024, driven by the impact of Hurricane Milton, which hit Florida in October of 2024. Alico's blended price per pound solids for the 3 months and 6 months ended March 31, 2025, increased $0.70 and $0.85 respectively as compared to the same period in the prior year as a result of more favorable pricing in one of our contracts with Tropicana. As John said, we completed our last major citrus harvest in April and have thus concluded the majority of our capital investment in our citrus operations. Land management and other operations revenue for the 3 months and 6 months ended March 31, 2025, increased 107% and 74% respectively as compared to the same periods in the prior year. The increase was primarily the result of an increase in rock and sand royalty income and so sales, partially offset by lower farming, grazing, and hunting lease revenues due to the sale of the Alico Ranch. Total operating expenses for the 3 months and 6 months that on March 31, 2025 were $167.7 million and $192.8 million respectively as compared to $36.3 million and $64.5 million in the same periods in the prior year. The increase in operating expenses was driven by approximately $118 million of non-cash accelerated depreciation as a result of our strategic transformation. And the decision to wind down our citrus operations as well as the impairment of our young trees which were not yet being depreciated and certain other assets that one of our grows of $25 million. General and administrative expenses for the three and six months ended March 31, 2025, increased $1.1 million and $0.4 million respectively as compared to the same periods in the prior year. The increase was primarily due to the accelerated depreciation on certain administrative assets and higher legal fees related to the strategic transformation. Other income expense net for the three months ended March 31, 2025, increased $15.3 million compared to the prior year period, driven by the sale of approximately 2,100 acres of land in the second quarter of 2025. Other income expense debt for the six months ended March 31, 2025 was a gain of $14.2 million compared to $75 million in the prior year period driven by the sale of the Alico Ranch to the state of Florida in the prior year. The three months ended March 31, 2025, and 2024, the company reported a net loss trivial to Alico Common's shareholders. Of $111.4 million and $15.8 million respectively, the increase in our net loss was principally the result of approximately $119 million of accelerated depreciation principally on citrus trees due to the strategic transformation and the decision to wind down our citrus operations, as well as the impairment of our young trees which were not yet being depreciated and the long-lived assets of one of our groves of $25 million. Partially offsetting this, land and equipment sales resulted in the gain of $15.8 million in the current quarter. This was partially offset by a tax benefit of $26.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025. For the three months ended March 31, 2025. The company had a loss of $14.58 per diluted common share compared to a loss of $2.07 per diluted common share for the three months ended March 31, 2024. The three months ended March 31, 2025. EBITDA was a loss of $14.7 million compared to a loss of $16.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024, and adjusted EBITDA of $12.7 million compared to a loss of $16.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024. Turning now to our balance sheet and liquidity. Cash and cash equivalents were $14.7 million as of March 31, 2025 compared to $3.2 million at the end of fiscal year 2024. Net cash used in operating activities was $0.6 million for the six months ended March 31, 2025 compared to $19.7 million for the six months ending March 31, 2024. At quarter end, we had approximately $88.5 million of remaining availability on our line of credit, and there were no significant debt maturities until 2029. Total debt was $89.6 million and net debt was $74.9 million as of March 31, 2025, compared to $92.1 million and $89 million respectively at the end of fiscal year 2024. Now I'd like to turn the call back to John to discuss our fiscal year 2025 outlook. John Kiernan Thank you, Brad. Now when we share our guidance for fiscal year 2025 and some concluding thoughts on our strategic direction. Our strategic transformation to become a diversified land company has already exceeded our fiscal 2025-year goals. At this time we are forecasting that our cash balance at the end of this fiscal year will be approximately $25 million and our net debt will be approximately $60 million with only the required $2.5 million balance outstanding under our revolving line of credit. We expect to generate approximately $20 million in adjusted EBITDA for fiscal year 2025. These projections are supported by the previously announced estimate of $20 million of land sales and cash generated by the 2024-2025 citrus harvest. We are currently projecting that land sales could potentially exceed $50 million this year, which would increase our adjusted EBITDA in cash and decrease our net debt projections. But we recognize that each pending transaction has its own challenges, just as all previous sales Alico has transacted over the past decade have experienced and there is no certainty regarding timing until sales are closed. Looking ahead to the remainder of fiscal year 2025, we'll focus on completing the sale of our remaining identified lands. Continuing entitlement work on our development properties. Finalizing agreements with agricultural operators for our diversified farming operations and further strengthening our balance sheet to support long term value creation. When considering the full scope of our transformation, we believe the present value of our current landholdings could be worth approximately $650 million to $750 million which roughly 75% value for agricultural use and assuming about 10% entitled for development within the next five years. I'm confident that our strategic transformation positions Alico to deliver enhanced long-term returns for our shareholders by balancing the development of select high value properties with diversified agricultural operations, we're creating a business model that leverages our core strengths. While adapting to market opportunities. And with that, we'll now open the line to questions from industry analysts. Margo. Operator Thank you. (Operator Instructions). We'll take our question from Gerry Sweeney with Roth Capital. Please go ahead. Brandon Rogers Hello, this is Brandon Rogers on for Gerry Sweeney. Thanks for taking my question. John Kiernan Our pleasure. How are you doing, Brandon? Brandon Rogers Good. I just had a question on the 15.8 landfill in the quarter. Could you just provide any additional color there? You said it was to, how many, I don't know exactly how many acres you said, but. Bradley Heine The 1,000 acres you're talking about the15. (Inaudible) John Kiernan (Multiple Speakers) (Inaudible) 2,100. Bradley Heine That was 2,100 acres. Brandon Rogers Alright, and then what county was that located in? Bradley Heine Off the top of my head, Hendry County. Brandon Rogers Hendry, alright, thank you. And then, so for, $50 million in land sales for the current year, are you in current discussions with any other land sales and then what gives you confidence in potentially achieving the $50 million aspiring target for the year? John Kiernan We've negotiated an agreement to sell some acres. It's still going through a process, so it's going to go through diligence right now, and that's underway. So the timing is a bit uncertain as the diligence process proceeds and the second part of your question is we're talking to several other parties about potential land sales, but nothing that's solid enough for us to report at this time. Brandon Rogers Okay, thank you. And then turning to Corkscrew, you said construction on the village could begin in 2028 or 2029 if all approvals are granted. What are some potential milestones we can watch for between now and the potential entitlement approvals? John Kiernan I think the entitlement approvals themselves are kind of what the milestones would be. There will be a lot of kind of individual meetings and revisions and remittals as we go, but I think as you see the approvals at the local, state, and federal levels come through, you'll know where the milestones stand. Brandon Rogers Awesome thank you for taking my questions. John Kiernan Thanks, Brandon. Operator Thank you. At this time we have no further questions. I'd like to turn the call back over to our speakers for final remarks. John Kiernan Thank you, Margo, and thank you to everyone for joining us today. We appreciate your continued support as we navigate this exciting strategic transformation. And we look forward to updating you on further progress in the coming quarters. We'll see you in August. Operator Thank you and this does conclude today's program. We thank you for your participation. You may disconnect at any time. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Independent
12-05-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
The ‘big misunderstanding' that saw Scottie Scheffler locked up hours before tee time
It was just as well that a television reporter happened to be there, otherwise it would have been almost impossible to believe. The world's number one player arrested, driven off to jail in handcuffs and charged with four offences, including second-degree assault of a police officer, just hours before he was due to tee off in the second round of a major championship? It sounds fanciful but that was precisely what happened to Scottie Scheffler on a dark, wet morning on day two of the 2024 US PGA Championship, a day which began in tragic circumstances which should not be forgotten. The start of play had been delayed following a fatal accident near the entrance to Valhalla, with tournament officials expression their 'devastation' at the death of local man John Mills, who was working for an on-site vendor at Valhalla. Mr Mills died after being struck by a shuttle bus around 5am as he attempted to cross Shelbyville Road and it was the traffic jam caused by the accident which Scheffler was attempting to get around when the incident which shocked the sporting world took place. ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington was among those stuck in the traffic and described on air how Scheffler had been instructed to stop his car by a police officer, but had continued with the officer 'attached' to the vehicle. Scheffler stopped the car at the club's entrance, at which point officer Bryan Gillis 'opened the car door, pulled Scheffler out, pushed him up against the car [and] immediately placed him in handcuffs,' according to Darlington. Darlington also posted footage on his account on X, formerly Twitter, in which Scheffler appeared to turn to the reporter and say: 'Can you please help me?' A police officer then tells Darlington: 'Right now he's going to jail and it ain't nothing you can do about.' A mugshot of Scheffler was later released by the Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections, which showed he had been released after an hour and 12 minutes, allowing him to make his delayed tee time. Remarkably, Scheffler added a 66 to his opening 67, after which he expressed his sympathies to the family of Mr Mills before detailing how he had been 'shaking for an hour in shock and fear' and, with no access to his phone, only thought about his tee time when he saw himself on television from his cell. According to the police report, Detective Gillis had been dragged to the ground by Scheffler's car, suffering 'pain, swelling and abrasions to his left wrist and knees'. Somewhat comically, the report also stated that the uniform trousers worn by Gillis, 'valued at approximately 80 dollars, were damaged beyond repair.' Scheffler's lawyer certainly did not see the funny side and insisted his client was prepared to go to trial if the charges against him were not dropped, which they were on May 29, 12 days after the incident. With Detective Gillis having failed to activate his bodycam, Jefferson county attorney Mike O'Connell accepted that Scheffler's characterisation of the incident as a 'big misunderstanding is corroborated by the evidence'. Whether that misunderstanding played a part in Scheffler's chances of victory at Valhalla disappearing with a third round of 73 will never be known, but it will certainly go down as one of the strangest days in major championship history.
