June 14, 2008–Torrey Pines–9:30 AM PST (UPDATED JUNE 18 10:31 AM PST) –For the most part, the talk about the galleries at Torrey Pines for the U.S. Open has been very good. Thousands upon thousands of golf fans have flocked to the stunningly beautiful Torrey Pines on the coast of California to get a glimpse of the world's best players, and nearly all are having a good time and minding their golf manners. But there is an exception to every rule. Tony Navarro, the caddie for Las Vegas golfer Adam Scott, a former UNLV Rebel and current student of Butch Harmon at his school located at Rio Secco Golf Club in Las Vegas, got into a scrap with a father and son during the second round. Soon the police intervened and arrested the two who were apparently drunk. Scott was paired with Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson for the first two rounds, and the incident happened on the final hole of the second round. JUNE 18: At first, reports were that Navarro could be charged in the incident but a San Diego police spokesperson says the investigation is over and no charges will be filed against Navarro. We are awaiting word from the USGA on any other comment about Navarro's actions. Photo courtesy USGA.org.
Media reports said that Navarro dropped his bag and rolled to the ground with the son, a 37-year-old man, and then Jim McKay, Mickelson's caddie, came to his assistance. The father, a 62-year-old, apparently tried to stop police from arresting his son.
Tiger was asked about the raucous at his post-round news conference, but he, Scott and Mickelson were well away from the incident when it happened.
"Well, they were being a little loud and a little rude," said Woods. "Stuey (Stuart Appleby) is over there on 18 trying to tee off and Tony is trying to make sure that he doesn't have these guys yelling on their swing. And they didn't like that very much.
"They (the gallery) were great all day. We just had that one incident."
A Lt. Chrisman from the San Diego Police Department was one of the first on the scene and told the San Diego Union-Tribune the following:
"My belief was they were heckling the caddie or one of the players," Lt. Christman said. "The caddie, I don't know why, the caddie left the playing field, went outside of the ropes, went nose to nose with the guy. Security then grabbed the person who was arrested with his son and the caddie was pulled back and went back into the field of play.
"I have witnesses who say the caddie head-butted the son, Campbell, but another witness said, no, it wasn't a head butt, just head in and hit the bill of his cap and popped his cap off. I have witnesses who say that after he was head-butted, his cap was popped off, the son took a swing at the caddie and was grabbed immediately by security guards and the caddie was pulled away.
"We were very, very close. We immediately grabbed him and then the father came over and stumbled into the arrest trying to pull his son free. Literally stumbled into the arrest. He wouldn't let go of his son. They got their legs intertwined. The son was with security guards first and then the police finished the arrest. We had to untangle the father and son."
Scott shot a 2-over par 73 for the round and stands at +4 and in 35th place. He will play with Mickelson again in the third round while Woods will tee off with the leaders.
Navarro was to talk with the USGA's Jim Hyler about the incident following the round.