Just heard on the GC that the "local authorities" were looking for him to question him about a "brawl" that took place...

Anybody know more about This?

I like how they are "looking for him". How hard can the guy be to find? Just call up Adam and ask him where his caddie is ha-ha.

Don't know if it's the same incident, but I think some fans were taunting Appleby on the 18th while Scott was on the 9th. Scott's caddie intervened to quiet them down. Sounded like thing got a little heated. If the d^&#head fans called the cops, they're losers.

Is Tony Navarro still his caddie?

Tony is his caddie

Tony Navarro is the caddie (used to be on Greg Norman's bag). I saw where he and Scott where talking about the initial altercation on the 9th fairway. It looked like Scott was snickering, and the annoucers said something about Navarro "cooling off". They made no mention of anything physical, just verbal. I also just heard the GC report about authorities wanting to question Navarro about the "brawl". I'm wondering if something happened after the round, like maybe the spectators confronting Navarro after Scott finished up on the 9th.

Hopefully he stomped a mud hole in one of the morons always yelling "get in the hole"

taken from Press Tent on golf.com

"Adam Scott's caddie rushes heckling fan:

Adam Scott’s caddie confronted a heckling fan during Friday’s second round at Torrey Pines, triggering a wild scuffle that police had to break up and drawing even more attention to the much-hyped Scott-Tiger Woods-Phil Mickelson grouping.

The incident occurred near the ninth tee box (Scott's 18th hole) when the caddie, Tony Navarro, tried to silence the fan as Stuart Appleby was hitting his tee shot on the adjacent 18th hole.

“Shut up, yellow!” the fan snapped back at Navarro, referring to the caddie's yellow bib.

Navarro, with Scott’s bag still slung over his shoulder, then slid under the ropes and barreled through a cluster of startled spectators in pursuit of the fan.

“They got face to face and were yapping at one other,” said Lance Ray, who witnessed the confrontation. “It was heated.”

Ray said the fan, likely in his 60s, appeared to be inebriated and that he had been heckling Scott for several holes.

Moments later several police officers collapsed on the fracas, which by that point included another fan, an acquaintance of the man Navarro had approached. The second fan was younger and his arms were covered with tattoos.

“Let him go!” the tattooed man yelled at a police officer, who was restraining the other fan with a headlock. “He's 60 years old!”

With great effort, the police handcuffed both men and led them up the path behind the ninth tee box.

Navarro, one of the more high-profile caddies on the PGA Tour, has worked for Scott since 2004. Before that, he caddied for Greg Norman.

I hate to say this (because I enjoy a cold one too) but....they need to get rid of alcohol at golf tournaments. And, I realize that another 10,000 probably had a beer that day and didn't act like an idiot but it only takes one. I've only been to a couple PGA events and everytime there are atleast 5 - 10 people that can't even walk anymore....then another 30 that are just downright rude and abnoxious. This is golf, not NASCAR. And honestly, they need to look at it for all sporting events because the drunk a-holes at Football/Baseball games ruin it for a lot of people too. I'll get off my soapbox now but have to reiterate that something needs to be done about serving idiots beer ALL DAY, out in the hot sun, at these events.

Something like this had to happen. I didn't see it (by the time they were playing their 2nd 9 it was already 1.30AM here), but you noticed on the webcast that the crowd following the group was getting louder and more violent. Even the lady from ESPN said she was getting a hard time by the crowds because they had to let her trough, or because she was standing in front of someone, etc. And there were definitely some phil fans heckling tiger and adam, and vice versa.

The patron system at the masters is a pain in the a**, but it does take care of stuff like this. I don't know who the group playing behind them was, but they must have had an extremely bad afternoon.

I think Stevie and Bones would have lend him a hand should it have gotten really bad though

i am absolutely convinced that there are people that use golf as an excuse/justification to get drunk - whether its while playing or watching.

I don't know if anyone else heard it, but a few times after Tiger hit, I heard something to the effect of "Phil is still better!" and "Over-rated!"

I'm wondering how this guy or these guys got away with saying something like that when there were so many Tiger fans out there.

Also, when watching it in HD, do you feel like you can hear the crowds better? My HD signal was getting all weird on ESPN (as it normally does from time to time) so I had to switch over to the regular channel, and it seemed as though the crowds weren't as audible.

sad state of affairs....white-trash-nation even reaching professional golf...and at a major.

these people should be drowned. nuff said.

If you are going to sell beer-use part of the revenues to stick 10 plain clothes guys in the gallery. No heckling of any sort will be permitted on the golf course-you scream it and you are gone-no exceptions. This is a gentlemens game not world cup soccer or ultimate fighting. Respect the traditions or stay home and yell at your wife , kids, dog, and the TV.

Said the man with the "mmmmmm .... beer" signature under his beer bottle avatar
Just kidding of course. And you are right!
A few years from now they'll be having bachelor parties outside the ropes with strippers

I believe they already do that at the Open, but in this case they needed 10 guys following Tiger and Phil alone.

It sounds more like the local police may be after a quick witness statement from Navarro to assist a prosecution of the idiot brigade than him being a suspect in any wrongdoing.

There already are 4 or 5 guys behind the ropes following TW. Not exactly incognito though, they are wearing Nike gear.

Beer sales won't be halted at golf tournaments, too much revenue to give up. Sports is all about the money, golf is a sport, and beer has terrific profit margins. No one has the guts to break up that formula. Besides, if they do, then ticket prices will be double.

Alcohol influenced events is nothing new at golf, just better media coverage. The comparisons to NASCAR and the people who attend a race is a little ridiculous. The British have perfected the art of alcohol related fun at golf for many years. The "worse" alcohol related activity I have seen by far was at the Open last year at Carnoustie. However, it's not in the galleries so credit for that, but a fair walk from the 18th green at the Bollinger tent you get it all - drunkness, women, furniture breaking, people passed out, and the occasional fight. I say "worse" in quotes because really it all seems somewhat under control and doesn't affect the golf, it's a spectacle - I have no problem with it.

I'm not surprised this happened. It's time to think about banning alcohol at tournaments. Revenue be darned. Am I going to yell at you at work because I feel like it? Probably not, but with a little liquid courage, maybe so.

found this on www.cybergle.com not sure that they just want a statement from Navarro....

A happy hour atmosphere with well-oiled fans in full throat turned ugly Friday on the final hole of play for the Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Adam Scott threesome. After hearing a fan verbally abuse him and his golfer, Scott, caddie Tony Navarro charged to the ropes that keep fans off the course and chest-butted a fan. The man had been yelling at Navarro to come over to the ropes, and Navarro was heard telling the fan to meet him at the bottom of the hill of the elevated tee box. After chest-butting the fan, Navarro dropped his golf bag and he and the fan rolled to the ground. Mickelson’s caddie, Jim Mackay, went through the ropes to help Navarro and could be heard yelling, “Where are the cops?”

Sorry for putting down the NASCAR fans...atleast when you go to a race, you expect loud mouths and drunks.

Back to this...they have Marshalls there (and usually alot of them)....how does it get to this? I have seen people practically pass out at a PGA tournament, right next to the ropes....or people being helped around because they can't even walk anymore. Don't you think this is a little crazy? If you want to get drunk, by all means go spend the day in the beer tent...or rent a house on the course and drink all day in the backyard....just stay away from the course. I'm pretty sure that they already do this but, all they have to do is post (on the tickets and signs by the entrance) that public intoxication (or rude and obnoxious behavior) will not be tolerated....if a worker sees it, flag a cop over and they are gone...easy enough. You can't tell me that there aren't enough Marshalls/Security/Workers etc. to keep this under control. This is a somewhat public place...if they can't control themselves, they should be removed...it is not fair to the other 99% that are having to deal with it. For those of you that don't see this as a problem, take your young child to one of these and wait for the group of guys (with beers in hand) to walk up next to you and start throwing out f-bombs or talking details about the nice looking women across the fairway.....from personal experience, this is what happens. Then again, if you don't think that this is a problem, you may want to pay closer attention to how you act in public. Sorry for the rambling but this is a touchy subject for me and I really think that it needs to be controlled....and some of it might be from that fact that I can't take my son to an NFL game because of the drunks.....I'm just hoping that he can atleast still go to golf tournaments.

This should be printed on every ticket and enforced: "Heckling will not be tolerated, and will be cause for immediate ejection for the premises!"

In 1853 the membership of the venerable St. Andrews golf club decided that a fifth of Scotland's finest held 18 shots. If a player took one shot per hole, his Scotch would be gone after 18 holes. (A fifth, by the way, is an old non-metric measure equaling a fifth of a gallon, roughly 750 ml.)

Let's not take away the booze, it's a part of the history of the game!

jfzhorseman, you are the man!!!!! I could not agree more. Let's keep golf civilized.

Didn't we get this smae type of atmoshpere at the last public course the open was held at?

What does it being at a public facility have to do with it? I really get annoyed about some of the snide elitist comments that sneak onto this board.

BDLz

It wasn't a shot, it was a question for someone to answer. Which you have taken personally becuase you play at a public/muni course.

Now....Buffy and I will be down at the tennis courts. Shine my shoes with a fine shammy!

A little funny....but let's calm down, no need to turn this into an economic background argument.

I remember the last open at a public course for the harshness of NY'rs not so much the alcohol. Remember the crowd counting Sergio's waggles out loud? That was rough.

That is what I recall. I remember it being a very "Ryder Cup" type crowd.

And for the record I don't even belong to a golf course and I keep my handicap at the local muni par 3 course. I just find humor in the fact someone was offended by that statment.

If a clown's got a ticket and an insatiable desire to make a nuisance of themselves after drinking too much beer I think the venue is pretty much immaterial.

I agree with above posters that, with the amount of volunteers, marshals and security staff at events like this, there should be little problem in hoiking these cretins out of the grounds before things get to the idiocy stage. It's difficult to restrict the sale of beer to people who are inebriated, but it really isn't (or shouldn't be) that diificult to single out troublemakers and sling them out in short order when their behaviour warrants it. I'd be willing to bet that the incident on #9 was the culmination of an extended period of drunken antics and that the marshalling is primarily to blame for allowing it to get that far. If a zero tolerance line was taken by the tournament staff and attending police then it may make a dent in this sort of thing over time and stop it from happening. The mindset of these idiots attending golf tournaments is the problem, and if they were left in no doubt that getting hammered and making a bloody nuisance of yourself meant that you were at best slung out, and at worst sobering up at the local nick, they might start turning up with a different attitude.

Not that this is a criticism of the US Open per se but can you imagine something like this happening at Augusta? And, in all the years I've attended the Open Championship I've only ever seen real drunkenness in the vicinity of the Bollinger tent - and only then by the Quentins and Taras of the world who wouldn't know Nick Faldo if he ran them over. In any case, most of the Hooray Henry Brigade are well away from the actual course and don't end up spoiling it for the genuine fans out watching the golf. I've never once seen or heard any of that type of behaviour in England or Scotland and beer is just as freely available (if you don't mind paying a fiver for a plastic cup filled with lukewarm, flat Trophy Bitter with a dead Bluebottle floating in it) as it is at US tournaments I've attended.

Sadly, we seem to be geting more and more of the 'Get In The Hole!' imbeciles, but the real yobs are, thankfully, still conspicuous by their absence over here.

I wasn't really offended by the statement, just a little annoyed. I don't currently belong to a club, but have in the past. I knew I'd get a response to the statement I made, and I figured you probably didn't mean it the way it came across to me. That being said, a lot of the seemingly elitist comments that golfers make (whether intended or not) only serve to isolate golf and golfers from the mainstream of sports enthusiasts.

(scs1070, I really wasn't trying to take a shot at you. I apologize if it came off that way)

BDLz

I could not agree more! This is golf, if they want to go to the charger or padre game and act like a complete f$&%*ng moron thats fine. but stay away from the course. I'm sorry, I just ashamed to say that I live in the same city as these J@(&A**'s
What Classless white trash!

He head butted the guy!

I live in San Diego it was on the news last night. The two gentelman (a father and son) were heckeling and he went over and took care of it haha.

good for Navarro... should have smacked him with a wedge... Bones could have loaned one of phils 5

during the practice round Eldrick and Phil group had atleast 5 dressed officers each.. surprised there were not quicker to respond.

Good for Navarro.

If Tiger has a squad of Nike goons following him, they should be ordered to 'take out' anyone shouting 'YDM' or 'ITH' when he hits a shot.

And I don't mean 'take out' of the grounds!

I don't know if that's accurate or not. The Golf Channel just said Tony went under the ropes confronted the drunk and a security guard took the drunk to the ground. But who knows, the media is never very reliable when it comes to reporting these things.

This is the result of the USGA placing as much value on making cash as on identifying the world's best players.

WW

That might be so, but they should have figured out something like this would happen. I just felt the mood was going over that healthy top yesterday, and i was sitting in front of a laptop
Of course they want to make cash and put them in the picture, but they don't intend stuff like that to happen. They should however have taken measures before it escalated.

Maybe instead of all those stupid public service ads about MOI and dimples etc. they should put some money in a campaign against such behavior on a golf course and the wankers shouting "in the hole" on teeboxes etc.

And golf is an elitist sport, but elitism doesn't have to be defined by money or status as so many seem to think. Etiquette and common sense get you a long long way.

Golf is totally different as a spectator sport than any other.

- You get very close to the competitors; within a few feet, they can hear you breathe.
- You don't have an assigned seat, you can walk anywhere.
- You have to compete with other fans physically to get a view. Kind of like a mosh pit...
- Every spectator could theoretically decide to watch one foursome, 42,000 trying to watch one group is going to cause problems. When it comes down to the last group on Sunday, there are almost always issues.
- Golf courses were not designed to handle more than a couple thousand people at a time, every venue out there relies on remote parking, temporary facilities, tents to accomodate all the fans... this causes frustration at waiting in lines, etc.
- You may NEED a couple of drinks to put up with this stress.
- You cannot keep wet alcoholics out, they will come and they will find a way to get their booze whether you sell it or not.
- They are charghing almost $10 a beer... at least any drunks will be rich drunks.
- At least they don't allow smoking at Torrey Pines... that really helps.

Put all this together and you get a recipe for issues to come up. I really don't think stopping alcohol will have any effect at all, just keep the prices sky high. (not sure how you regulate corporate tents unless you make them have no host bars only... and that is not going to fly)

Add to all this the new generation of fan brought in by the popularity of Tiger, and you have a recipe for occasional incidents.

It is kind of funny this one is with some 60 year old dude getting on Adam Scott... the caddy has to be an all time moron for going after someone for verbal jabs. talk about thin skinned if I was Scott I would fire his a** today. I hope the fan sues the crap out of him.

If you have ever been to a tournament and followed Tiger's group, there are a million cops... no need for a caddy to try and play enforcer... he could have been seriously injured. They tell these guys under no circumstances do you go outside the ropes... this is why.

And last, you don't even need to have a fan in the picture... remember Bubba and Elk getting into it a few weeks ago?

There was a story during the Memorial of how Jack was upset about the fans' behavior after one of the many rain delays at the Memorial a couple of years ago, so he stipulated that beer sales must cease during any rain delay at the tournament.

Not a problem. The internet is here to argue, downloand porn and download music.

F that. We don't need another lawsuit over this nonsense. What's the guy going to say, gee your honor I am normally a peace loving mature 60-year old man, the alcohol made me do it !!!???!!! The caddy tried to handle the matter staying on his side of the rope, but the drunks couldn't shut up. Perhaps the caddy is wrong, but it does not excuse being drunk in public and heckling. I hope we see the old man picking up trash on the side of the freeway on the 4th of July weekend.

So? One of the worst examples of drunken heckling and unsportsmanlike comments from the gallery occurred at the 1999 Ryder Cup in Brookline, one of the most snobby, elitist, blueblood golf clubs on the face of the earth.

The need to do something about this.

Option 1) Don't serve alcohol at all, It's the US fricken Open. I'm pretty sure they can survive without the beer sales for 1 or 2 major tournaments a year.

Option 2) Don't serve any hard liquor and only serve 3.2 beer. It's nearly impossible to get drunk on 3.2.

Option 3) Eject any and all hecklers. This should be done anyways.

Option 4) Add more marshalls and cops, especially in the marquee groups.


Personally I'd implement numbers 2, 3 and 4.

No booze = no ticket sales... as they say in Texas... it ain't gonna happen.

Why would anyone support a caddy for assaulting a fan just because he was heckling.... that is the problem, not the heckler...

I don't want us golfers to get a further reputation as a bunch of whimps... man up and take a little smack talk!

I disagree, people would still attend no matter what, it is the US Open. What it would do is keep the trash out.

Oh and take smack talk? This is golf not football or hockey. Heckling doesn't belong in this game one bit and I'm sure you are in the very very minority who thinks it does!!!

I have to agree with aces. I don't think that heckling belongs anywhere near this sport. Seriously if Tony is at fault for being the nice guy and try to help Appleby? I mean thats how this started, he wasn't even doing anything for Adam at first! it was Appleby! If thats not sportsman ship and class, I don't know what is.

The hecklers should be locked up for a month for all I care! and they are probably going to be after the injury's the police officers sustained trying to handcuff those losers. They got what they deserve.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree on a little heckling... I like it as long as there is no profanity and it is in between shots.

On the other issue, caddies assulting fans I hope you are not condoning that, no matter what anyone says, you never get physical with big mouths anywhere, much less when you are a caddy in a professional golf tournament. This was VERY poor judgement on his part. If this guy was doing anything wrong tell the cops and they will take care of it. Bad time for a testosterone eruption....

Have you EVER been to a tour event? I have been to at least 100, and I can tell you for a fact that over 1/2 the people there (probably more) are having a few drinks... many of them just won't go and put up with all the hassle if they can't have a couple beers to relax when they get there. I personally would still go, but it would have an effect on attendance if they didn't allow booze and corporate tents would just about disapper (five or six figures $$$ for each one...) Like I say it just ain't gonna happen.

All in all golf crowds are pretty tame, they can deal with the few bad apples with the set up they have now. No changes needed. This isn't a Raiders game (ever been to one of those? Wow!)

Tickets to sporting events give you the privelege of attendance. That is all. You don't have the right to stay if you are being disruptive or making an a** of yourself. The two drunks deserve to be tossed.

As for removing alcohol sales, that would be another overreaction and punishment of the masses due to the behavior of a few. Go read the smoking thread. I feel no need to remove alcohol from patrons over 21 that can handle their liquor. If you are drunk, acting like a jerk, passing out, or puking in the corner, not only should you be tossed, you should be banned from getting tickets to another tournament again for at least a year.

No need for a solution when you can eliminate the problem. And the problem is the few ticket holders that don't know how to behave in public.

Don't get me wrong, I am in no way shape or form saying that a caddy should assault a fan. I'm just think that the fans in this case were WAY over the line and probably should have been thrown out awhile before.

It's funny, this morning at my store I had a guy come in and tell me about this, apparently he was standing about 5 feet from the guys when this happened. He said that there was NO contact made by Tony on the fans, they got REALLY face to face, but no striking was done. The guy also said that that the two guys were the drunkest hes seem ANYONE ever in his life, he said they were stumbling around like crazy. he said that when the guy threw the punch and missed he damn near fell flat on his face!

I have been to MANY tour events, I LOVE to go, and I have no problem with people being loud! thats great! get the fans involved, but BE RESPECTFUL!!!!!!!! thats my deal, this is their JOBS!! they make their livings this way. I caddied in the Buick Invite @ Torrey a few years ago, a good friend of mine made the Monday qualifying. That was one of the best experiences of my life, and the people were GREAT! I just hate to see this take such a negative turn and hope that everyone can learn from this, players, caddies, and fans.

Not that it should surprise anyone, the city of San Diego does have laws against being "drunk in public."