U.S. OPEN: Incident mars second day of play

By LOREN NELSON - Staff Writer | Friday, June 13, 2008 11:13 PM PDT ∞

LA JOLLA ---- Security personnel wrestled two rowdy fans to the ground and escorted them off the Torrey Pines Golf Course in handcuffs late Friday afternoon during the second round of the U.S. Open in an ugly, alcohol-related incident that also involved Adam Scott's caddie.

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The group of Scott, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson had just teed off on No. 9, their final hole of the day, and were walking off the tee box and toward the fairway when Tony Navarro, Scott's caddie, veered right toward the massive gallery bottlenecked between the No. 9 and 18 tee boxes.

Dan Christman, the San Diego Police Department lieutenant in charge of special events, confirmed there was a verbal exchange and a possible physical exchange between Navarro and Thomas J. Campbell, 37, of Apple Valley.

Christman said there were conflicting reports from witnesses at the scene. He said Navarro either head-butted Campbell or that Navarro got so close to Campbell he pushed his head into the bill of Navarro's cap. Christman said two witnesses alleged Campbell took a swing at Navarro and missed.

Campbell and his father, Thomas W. Campbell, 62, of Upland, were arrested for being drunk in public, and Christman said more charges could be filed against the men. Thomas W. Campbell was not involved in the initial incident but was seen repeatedly trying to pull his son away from security personnel.

"My belief is they were heckling the caddie or one of the players," Christman said. "And the caddie, and I don't know why or want to say why, but the caddie left the playing field and went nose-to-nose with the guy. Security then grabbed the guy, the son, and the caddie was pulled back and went back onto the field of play."

Navarro, reached by cell phone late Friday night, said his intention was to try to quiet the fans. About 30 yards away from the melee, tournament leader Stuart Appleby was teeing off on No. 18. Course marshals had their hands in the air, the signal for fans to stop moving and refrain from making noise.

"They just weren't paying attention," Navarro said. "We just want to have the rest of the guys in the tournament to have the same opportunity that we have. And Appleby is over there on the 18th tee and leading the tournament.

"The guys were just yelling. It wasn't anything derogatory."

Navarro, who was knocked to the ground during the incident, confirmed he went under the ropes, but said he didn't head butt Campbell.

"There was nothing physical. He didn't take a swing at me."

Appleby said he was oblivious to what was happening as he teed off.

"I've been asked about it a few times and I didn't see or hear anything," he said. "I was focusing on my ball in the air, I guess."

Christman said a young boy at the scene of the incident was the 7-year-old son of the younger Campbell. Christman said the boy was turned over to family members.

The physical confrontation between the Campbells and security personnel lasted for several minutes and ended with both men being wrestled to the ground. Christman said two San Diego Police Department officers suffered minor injuries in the scrum.

The group of Woods, Mickelson and Scott ---- the world's Nos. 1, 2 and 3 players, respectively ---- was surrounded by thousands of fans and heavy security all afternoon. They played without incident while being followed by a gallery that numbered in the tens of thousands during Thursday's opening round and for most of Friday.

"Well, they were being a little loud and a little rude," said Woods, who slowed as he walked toward the fairway and was about 40 yards from two men when Navarro rushed toward them. "(Appleby) is over there on 18 trying to tee off and (Navarro) is trying to make sure that he doesn't have these guys yelling on their swing.

"And they didn't like that very much."

Navarro was the longtime former caddie for Greg Norman and is no stranger to major championships or huge galleries.

"I wasn't trying to start a fight," he said. "I just wanted to quiet the guys down. I shouldn't have gone under the ropes."

Dan Hoban, the U.S. Open director of security and large-event security officer for the USGA since 1997, said he couldn't remember an incident when a caddie went under the ropes to confront a fan.

"They'll tell them to put a camera away or something like that," he said. "But obviously, we prefer to have security handle cases like this."

Contact sports editor Loren Nelson at (760) 740-3551 or lnelson@nctimes.com.