The most talked-about pair of pants in the country may never pass another uniform inspection, but their owner—Louisville police officer Bryan Gillis—isn’t quite ready to part with them. Despite their infamous place in golf lore, the trousers remain boxed up somewhere in Gillis’ Louisville home. He doesn’t remember the exact location, but he knows they’re still his.

These aren’t tucked away in an evidence locker or displayed in a museum. And they definitely weren’t donated to a local thrift store. No, these are personal. They belong to him. And for now, that’s where they’ll stay—hidden among the remnants of one of the strangest and most widely discussed days in professional golf history.

“I’ve still got them,” Gillis confirmed in a brief phone conversation. “Nobody ever took them from me. They’ve always been mine, so they still are.”

The pants became a viral sensation not because of how they looked or what brand they were—but because of what happened to them during an incident involving the world’s top golfer. It was just over a year ago when Gillis tried to stop Scottie Scheffler, who was attempting to enter Valhalla Golf Club through Gate 1 ahead of the second round of the PGA Championship. Rain was falling. Tensions were high following a fatal accident near the venue earlier that morning. The entrance had been closed as a result.

According to Gillis, he instructed Scheffler to stop. Scheffler, however, didn’t comply—or at least not in time. In what Scheffler later called a misunderstanding, he continued driving. Gillis, trying to halt the vehicle, ended up clinging to it and was reportedly dragged a short distance. Police records noted Gillis suffered “pain, swelling, and abrasions” to his left wrist and knee.

But the line that caught the world’s attention didn’t come from a medical report. It came from the citation, which stated simply: “Detective Gillis’ uniform pants, valued at approximately $80, were damaged beyond repair.”

Suddenly, an ordinary piece of police-issued clothing became a historic footnote. And now, a year later, people are still asking: What happened to the pants?

They’re still with Gillis. Alongside the handcuffs used on Scheffler, they’re stored in a box, away from public view. The officer admits he hasn’t looked at them in quite some time. Life has moved on. But the memory of that day—and its unusual consequences—remains.

What’s more surprising is the value the pants have accumulated. While they were once worth only $80, experts suggest they could now command a price as high as $20,000—if Gillis were ever inclined to sell.

That morning, Scheffler endured what he later described as one of the most frightening moments of his life. He was placed in handcuffs, sat trembling in a police car, and spent time in a jail cell before being released. Remarkably, he made it to the course in time and shot a brilliant 66, placing himself high on the leaderboard. Though the circumstances were traumatic, the incident inadvertently enhanced his public image and made headlines around the world.

For Officer Gillis, the story took a different turn. He became a polarizing figure—mocked in memes, debated on talk shows, and nicknamed “the man with the $80 pants.” The Louisville Metro Police Department issued “corrective action” after it was discovered Gillis hadn’t activated his body camera during the incident. Still, to this day, he receives attention from golf fans, reporters, and even strangers in public.

“I get recognized sometimes,” Gillis said. “People come up to me in stores and ask, ‘Are you the guy who arrested Scottie Scheffler?’”

He’s also been asked to autograph police hats and memorabilia, often by colleagues who enjoy the novelty of owning a keepsake from the man at the center of one of golf’s oddest moments. Some even wear his signed hats out on the course, telling the story behind the signature with a grin.

When the charges against Scheffler were eventually dropped, Gillis released a light-hearted public statement, joking, “Yes, the department has us buying freaking $80 pants. To those concerned, they were indeed ruined. But Scottie, it’s all good. I never would’ve guessed I’d have the most famous pair of pants in the country for a few weeks because of this. Take care and be safe.”

Despite the fame—and the jokes—Gillis isn’t opposed to selling the pants. He just hasn’t decided how to do it, or if he ever will. In the months after the incident, he received numerous harassing phone calls, leading him to retreat from the spotlight. He’s kept mostly quiet ever since.

“There have been a million ideas thrown around,” he said. “Everyone’s got an opinion on how I should handle it. But I’ve decided not to do anything for now.”

Auction experts say the pants could still fetch a respectable sum. Ryan Carey, president of Golden Age Auctions, believes they had a peak value of $20,000 immediately following the incident. Over time, that number may have dipped—but not by much.

“If they had gone up for sale that week, no question—$20,000,” Carey said. “Even today, I’d estimate they’re still worth around $5,000, maybe more.”

But the value isn’t just in the pants. It’s in the story. As Carey puts it, “The object never changes, but the story around it does. That’s where the value comes from.”

He compares it to historical memorabilia like Tonya Harding’s red sequined costume from the 1994 Olympic Trials—the one worn shortly after her rival Nancy Kerrigan was attacked. That costume fetched $17,485 in 2024. Not because it was particularly rare or ornate, but because of the significance attached to it.

“This is a moment in history,” Carey said. “As silly as it sounds, those ripped police pants are a piece of golf history now.”

If Gillis ever decides to sell, there’s no telling how much they might go for—especially if Scheffler were involved in the process. Carey speculated that if the two collaborated and donated part of the proceeds to charity, possibly recording a humorous video or reflecting on the event together, the pants might soar in value again.

But for now, the pants remain in the shadows of a cardboard box, their destiny uncertain. Gillis isn’t actively trying to profit from the incident. He says he’s not ruling anything out, but he hasn’t really sat down to figure out what comes next.

“For now? Nothing,” he said. “Maybe in the future. If someone really wanted them and made an offer, I’d think about it. But honestly, I haven’t put much thought into it.”

And so, one of golf’s most unexpected artifacts waits silently in a box, waiting for the next chapter in a story no one could’ve predicted—a pair of $80 pants that just might be priceless.