Adam Scott's caddie should be suspended immediately by USGA and PGA Tour for going into gallery, fighting fans
LA JOLLA, Calif. (June 14, 2008) - If the true power players at the United States Golf Association had any guts, if PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem wasn’t just an insanely high-paid excuse maker, Adam Scott would have needed to get a new caddie for today’s third round.
There is no way that Tony Navarro should be back on the bag in any professional golf event anytime soon.
Navarro went into the gallery at the end of Scott’s second round late Friday night California time. He went into the crowd and turned some verbal remarks into a physical confrontation. Navarro rolled around on the ground with one heckling fan at one point before course security and the police had to stop a fight that never should have started.
Two fans, father and son no less, were reportedly being loud and borderline obnoxious. That still offers no excuses for Navarro’s actions. There’s never a legitimate reason for a player, let alone a supporting figure like a caddie or an assistant coach, in any sport to leave the field of play and confront a fan.
“My belief was they were heckling the caddie or one of the players,” San Diego police Lt. Dan Christman told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “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, 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.”
Notice how even the police can’t figure out why Scott’s hot-headed caddie left the playing field. In truth, Navarro is lucky he wasn’t arrested right along with the two louts.
How is this guy still on Scott’s bag today? Talk about ridiculous.
Only in the super enabling, we can’t possibly offend a player, world of golf could someone get away with this. Can you imagine if this happened in the NBA? David Stern would have banned Navarro - or any trainer or basketball corresponding secondary worker - from the league for life. And maybe rightly so.
How can the powers of golf show such little regard for fan safety and the sanctity of the playing field’s boundaries? Only golf allows secondary figures to treats its fans like dirt. Tiger Woods’ henchmen-of-choice Steve Williams reaching into the stands to take away that camera several years ago was bad enough. Scott’s man went way beyond that and far over any sane line.
This U.S. Open just became a joke. Because no one with any power in golf has the will or the sense to stand up to a hot-head who should have lost his right to be out here.
11 comments
"The Price is wrong, Bob!"
And even if you want to be like that, call over security and try and get the fans you think are out of line ejected. There's no excuse for ever leaving the playing boundaries to turn a verbal confrontation physical.
And Adam Scott has been involved in a lot of boneheaded things in this Open. He blows off the media for two days straight. He changes his how-I-broke-my-pinky story from slamming a car door on his own hand to having one of his "buddies" do it. And he four putts 18 on Friday by showing all the smarts and discipline of one of Torrey Pines' squirrels.
It almost figures that he has the out-of-control caddie too. But you pointed that out first, not me.
Are you trying to say Adam Scott creates problems, anonymous? I won't go quite that far. It didn't seem like he had anything to do with Navarro charging off to play Rambo. But interesting theory.
A golfer has no assistance during his/her shot. A team sport leaves options for involving others to help out. A golf shot is not the same as a free-throw.
The entire golf experience is to decide and maintain a complete perception of tying together many physical & mental variables, resulting in a club-head speed of over 100 mph with the appropriate foot position, upper body, lower body and arm/hand movement to execute the proper shot.
The only equivilent I can readily think of for the disruption is having a fie alarm going off while having sex.
I agree with the other people who have commented - you don't understand the game, so try another sport.
You have to remember that the fans are customers and the caddies and players are workers/performers. Thus, the latter have an obligation to be professional at all times.
If you still disagree, consider this: Is a comedian right to physical confront an audience member who heckles him? Do you think it's OK when an NBA player jumps into the stands and attacks a fan? There's a right way and a wrong way to handle things. Wise up.
run in with a fan, this time at Presidents
Cup this past weekend. I know, because it
was with my son and a friend of his. They
were not drunk, however my son after Adam
had hit his shot, shouted "get in the
trap" or something to that effect. Well
it went in the trap and both Greg Norman
and the caddie got in my son's face. The
cameras were right there and the caddie
yelled at them to get out of there, even
a security guard turned and walked away
from it. My son is no little guy around
6'4" and 230 lbs and he was totally caught
off guard. Most everyone was in disbelief
and some were laughing. Fortunately my son
just looked at the caddie and said what
are you going to do about it? The caddie
yelled numerous expletives at my son and
is very fortunate that it did not escalate
any further. It's unfair to me that so
called professionals or their support
folks can get away with such antics in
this day and age. I'm glad my son showed
restraint as well for I'm sure he would
have been somehow found guilty, when all
he was doing is rooting for his country.
Probably not the best choice to shout it
out like that, but last time I checked it
isn't something that is outside of the
rules.
Thank you,
Gary
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