Ken Venturi faces a drunken driving charge after police said the golf star
nearly hit a patrol car.
Venturi, the 1964 U.S. Open champion who works as a CBS golf analyst, was arrested
Thursday night. He was taken to the Collier County Jail and released after posting
bail of $750.
``There are two sides to every story,'' the 70-year-old Venturi said Saturday
from his home on southwest Florida's Gulf Coast. He said he will speak with his
lawyer Monday.
A breath test taken twice recorded his blood-alcohol level at 0.191 percent
and 0.195 percent, authorities said. Under Florida law, a driver is presumed drunk
when the level exceeds 0.08.
A sheriff's deputy said he was driving in his marked car about 10:45 p.m. Thursday
when he was nearly hit by Venturi's luxury car. When he stopped Venturi's car,
the deputy said he could smell alcohol and Venturi appeared intoxicated.
Venturi couldn't follow instructions or keep his balance, deputies said.
Venturi was ``extremely belligerent'' toward deputies at first, then cooperative
and docile, authorities said. He asked ``if we knew who he was and that he was
friends with Sheriff (Don) Hunter and would fix the situation,'' the report states.
``It's embarrassing,'' Venturi said. ``I'm doing fine. There's a lot more to
be said.''
