You’re watching a professional golf tournament on TV. It seems pretty genteel. All those fans in their golf togs, watching quietly as the golfers stroke the ball into the cup. It almost always seems quiet on the course, the only exceptions being rounds of polite applause when Phil Mickelson or another of the PGA stars sinks a putt. Well, apparently that description is missing a major component of the picture.
Sure, we’ve all heard about people who drink while playing the game. John Daly’s exploits, and his struggles with alcohol, have been well-publicized. And most players agree that, from their point of view, there’s too much at stake to risk with overindulging in alcohol. Having said that, what about the fans?
Just look at them. Well dressed in their sport-appropriate clothing, walking around the course following the tournament leaders, and observing that hushed silence when a player addresses the ball. “Drinking too much?” you ask – no way! After all, this isn’t a football game, or even a baseball game. The golf course is no place for the kind of rowdy behavior we’ve come to expect in the stands of other major sporting events. There have, of course, been isolated instances of overly exuberant fans at PGA tournaments, including an allegedly drunk fan who was tasered by police for heckling Tiger Woods at a tournament a few years ago. But that was totally out of character for a golf fan, right? Well, things are apparently not as they seem, as demonstrated at the Phoenix Open, which took place last week in Scottsdale. The tournament, by the way, has the reputation of being the rowdiest on the entire PGA tour, although still not up to (or down to, depending upon your viewpoint) the standards, say, of the NFL.
The police say they wanted to make sure those in attendance were ok to drive home. In prior years, the police have had DUI checkpoints in the vicinity, and DUI arrests were common after the event. This year, they added a new component. The Scottsdale Police Department, the Gilbert Police Department, the Department of Public Safety and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department partnered in a voluntary sobriety check as fans were leaving the event. Of those who agreed to have their blood alcohol content (BAC) checked at the gate, about three or four of every 100 people had a BAC over 0.08. In addition, over the past few years, hundreds of DUI stops and arrests have taken place within a mile of the course during the Phoenix Open. As a side note, three men were arrested at the tournament this year after they allegedly assaulted a volunteer and harassed security personnel. They were charged, among other things, with public intoxication.
The Feldman Law Firm PLLC
1 E. Washington Street
Phoenix, AZ 85004
(602) 540-7887
