PGA Tour pro Steven Bowditch was arrested early Friday morning and accused of extreme DUI in Arizona, where he is playing the Phoenix Open, according to Fox 10 Phoenix. An extreme DUI in Arizona means your blood alcohol content (BAC) is over .15.
Here are the details:
The incident, according to police, began to unfold at approximately 1:10 a.m., when a citizen motorist called police to report an impaired driver that was swerving all over the road in a white pickup. The pickup, according to police, was later found at the intersection of Scottsdale Road and Lincoln, where it sat through two green traffic signals without moving.
Police woke him up while he was still in his vehicle Friday morning. He remained in the tournament Friday after a first-round 74. He will miss the cut.
NEW: #PGA player Steven Bowditch arrested early this morning for extreme dui by Scottsdale PD. Made his tee time but will miss cut. #WMPOpic.twitter.com/1HtZPs6JI9
— FOX 10 Phoenix (@FOX10Phoenix) February 3, 2017
Bowditch has suffered from extreme depression in the past and was suicidal at one point early in his career. Alcohol was a big part of that story. He once tried to drown himself at his Dallas condo.
"I would finish the pro-am at midday," he told Golf Digest in 2009. "I would start drinking at 1 o'clock in the afternoon and go all the way until 5 o'clock in the morning and tee it up in the tournament at 7 o'clock on the first tee. Go home, have an afternoon sleep and do it again. And that went on for six weeks. I realized in June or July that I was doing it every day. That was my only escape from the person that I was."
Bowditch has struggled on the course in the past year. He has missed 20 of 32 cuts in 2016 and 2017, often shooting outrageous numbers well into the 80s. Bowditch has become a fan and media favorite for poking fun at himself after good rounds. Like the time he was drug tested after a good round.
Even the tour can't believe I broke 80! pic.twitter.com/56tXnkZ6Be
— bowdo (@bowdo83) July 1, 2016
Update (8:45 p.m. ET)
Bowditch released the following statement via the PGA Tour.
"I would like to apologize to my family, friends and supporters, as well as the PGA Tour and Waste Management Phoenix Open for the incident reported today. As I intend to fully cooperate with the authorities, I will not be making further comment at this stage."