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Dustin Johnson Robbed?

• SteveOx 699 Posts

  Sun, Aug 15 2010 4:33 PM

  Was Dustin Johnson robbed of  his chance to compete in the  Final Death match between  Bubba Watson and Martin Kaymer?? 

• overthetop2 192 Posts

  Sun, Aug 15 2010 4:54 PM

  Yes. If you ask me the grounding rule is stupid.  Who gives a shat if a club gets grounded in the bunker?

• Snaike 3,678 Posts

  Sun, Aug 15 2010 5:05 PM

  Rules are rules whether you like them or not.  It did appear to be a little questionable...  

  But, with over 1000 bunkers on WS, you had to know that one of them was going to figure into the final mix.

• Sargenjd01 366 Posts

  Sun, Aug 15 2010 5:25 PM

  The rules are the rules........I think the PGA made a mistake as well though. If all sand was classified as a bunker than no spectators should be standing in bunkers. On the other hand PGA Pro's are given a briefing of the course. If they stated that all sand was classified as a bunker than Dustin should have known....

  The golfers give a *** because it is a rule that was created so that a player cannot gain advantage by creating an indent in the sand to help improve the chance of a greater backspin. So yes, players do give a  rat's a$$ about sand rules.

• jakestanfill7 949 Posts

  Sun, Aug 15 2010 7:03 PM

  I strongly believe that the rules of golf should be adhered to at all times but DJ was robbed.  If it's truly a hazard then I agree they have to keep spectators out of them.  If the marshals had done a proper job of clearing the gallery out of the very trap that Dustin was in, he clearly would have been able to discern that it indeed was bunker. 

  DJ handled the situation with a lot of class and has officially won over many fans, myself included.  Can't wait to see him win a number of majors.  The experience he gained here and at Pebble with prove invaluable on his march to becoming one of the world's top players.

  My heart also broke to watch Bubba throw the tourney away on a stupid decision.  As an Athens GA native and Bulldog supporter, I've followed him for a long time.  He's a ton of fun to watch.  Kudos to Kaymer for a well played tourney and nerves of steel.

• SSINWT 11 Posts

  Sun, Aug 15 2010 7:40 PM

  Really sucked but the rules are the rules and from what the PGA said, he was aware of it.

  I felt bad for Bubba too. Bad decision for going for it but hey we all have done it...

• dingleberry33 8 Posts

  Sun, Aug 15 2010 8:11 PM

  He was DEFINITELY robbed.

  There were so many extenuating circumstances on that shot.

  He DESERVED to be in that play off.

   

• MichaelWeir 31 Posts

  Sun, Aug 15 2010 11:10 PM

  disgraceful decision. Sure beforehand they said all sand was going to be considered a Bunker, but if they're calling it a bunker there should be no spectators in it. if spectators are allowed in the bunkers, then next time I go and watch a golf tournament I'm gonna sit right down in a greenside bunker, it'll have a great view. 

  I don't know how reliable Wikipedia is but here is what they have on bunkers...

  "There are three types of bunkers used in golf course architecture and all are designed to be impediments to the golfer's progress toward the green. Fairway bunkers are designed primarily to gather up wayward tee shots on par 4 and par 5 holes; they are located to the sides of the fairway or even in the middle of the fairway. Greenside bunkers are designed to collect wayward approach shots on long holes and tee shots on par 3 holes; they are located near and around the green. Waste bunkers are natural sandy areas, usually very large and often found on links courses; they are not considered hazards according to the rules of golf, and so, unlike in fairway or greenside bunkers, golfers are permitted to ground a club lightly in, or remove loose impediments from, the area around the ball.^"

  I'm specifically talking about this part...

  Waste bunkers are natural sandy areas, usually very large and often found on links courses; they are not considered hazards according to the rules of golf, and so, unlike in fairway or greenside bunkers, golfers are permitted to ground a club lightly in, or remove loose impediments from, the area around the ball.

  According to what I saw on TV it looked like the description here and by Wikipedia's rules he shoudl have been allowed to ground his club but I assume it was a local rule for Whistling Sraights that didn't allow him to ground his club?

  either way, that was no bunker, and if it was there shouldn't be any spectators in it

• zagraniczniak 1,984 Posts

  Mon, Aug 16 2010 2:16 AM

  Johnson lost because of a LOCAL RULE, not the Rules of Golf, and that is just sad.

  I think it says more about the vanity of Kohler than the difficulty of the course. How asinine to put in hundreds of bunkers that are not even in play, when there are starving children in Africa and so on. Gross arrogance.

  When agreeing to hold events at specific courses, the PGA should ground its club, as it were, on the principle that the golf should not be distorted by local rules. A waste bunker is a waste bunker whether Kohler wants to pretend otherwise or not.

  Michael is right on, but there was a local rule here that Johnson broke. The local rule was idiotic, though, and should have been rejected in advance.

• Joeyola 1,210 Posts

  Mon, Aug 16 2010 3:17 AM

  Dustin's drive landed in a mass of people with only a tiny alley cleared for his second shot.  It certainly didn't look like a bunker, and apparently not to the rules official walking with his group.  In hindsight, I'm sure Johnson wishes he had taken a stepping back, assessed the situation and asked for a ruling.  The event and the PGA ended up with a black eye as well.

  Joey