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Dustin Johnson

• speedyschic 948 Posts

  Sun, Aug 15 2010 4:37 PM

  Ouch!!  Who thinks it is time for a rule change? I don't think I would have recognized that as a bunker either. It had been so trampled down by the spectators that it was almost covered with grass and debris. I think the officials made a good call but I think maybe the rule needs to be modified.

• MonumentValley 58 Posts

  Sun, Aug 15 2010 4:44 PM

  It was very unfair what happened to Dustin Johnson. What kind of tournament lets the fans reside in a bunker?

• restorethis 151 Posts

  Sun, Aug 15 2010 4:55 PM

  I think the officials should have had that bunker cleared of spectators when he walked up to his ball. Course management at fault , not Dustin Johnson . He got robbed!

• zagraniczniak 1,984 Posts

  Mon, Aug 16 2010 2:44 AM

  It's just a local rule. It's really a waste bunker but they were pretending it was a hazard. So the Rules of Golf are not to blame, but an idiotic local rule, which the PGA should have rejected beforehand.

• coolswing 1,017 Posts

  Mon, Aug 16 2010 4:36 AM

  It was a heart broken moment for Dustin Johnson and many golf fans watching.  But it really came down to an oversight by him and his caddie.  Following is an excerpt from a news item on the official USPGA tournament site:

  "The bunker issue was one the PGA Rules Committee found to be so sensitive and important, that the following bulletin was given to every player in the field before the tournament started and was also posted in the locker room.
  
  Here is the exact wording of the bulletin given to players:
  
  Notice to Competitors - Bunkers
  
  1. All areas of the course that were designed and built as sand bunkers will be played as bunkers (hazards), whether or not they have been raked. This will mean that many bunkers positioned outside of the ropes, as well as some areas of bunkers inside the ropes, close to the rope line, will likely include numerous footprints, heel prints and tire tracks during the play of the Championship. Such irregularities of surface are a part of the game and no free relief will be available from these conditions. All bunkers inside the ropes will be raked each morning prior to play as normal.

  2.  The local rule allowing players to move stones in bunkers will be in effect."

  The commentators on the live telecast even mentioned that this important bulletin was placed inside every player's lockers before the 1st round began so there was no way that Dustin didn't know about this ruling !  I also questioned why his caddie didn't seem to know anything about it at all !  And say if there was a chance that this bulletin might not have been placed in the caddie's lockers or locker room, even then Dustin should have passed this info on to him ! 

  So once again we all witnessed another pro golfer having a real heartache by losing a tournament because of a lack of knowledge for the rules of golf !  Such a pity because it has been such an exciting tournament and to have an ending like that just leave a bad taste in the mouth for everyone.  Here's something to think about that made me shudder, imagine if Dustin had sunk his par putt on the 18th hole to win by a shot then this penalty saga descended upon him !  Talk about psychological damage ! LOL !

• YankeeJim 25,827 Posts

  Mon, Aug 16 2010 5:03 AM

  zagraniczniak:

  So the Rules of Golf are not to blame, but an idiotic local rule, which the PGA should have rejected beforehand.

  Hear, hear!  Call this a black eye on that golf course.

• KingOfTheCourse 419 Posts

  Mon, Aug 16 2010 5:22 AM

  Now I might be the only one who was at Whistling Straits while this happened.  I wanted to see Rory hit his tee shot and second shot on 18 but the green was so crowded that I had to stand in the fescue along the fairway.  All over the course they had ropes lining through showing where spectators could walk, some ropes crossed the bunkers and the parts that were spectator sides were allowed to be walked in, if it was inside the ropes it would be raked and played as a bunker.

  Now the problem began because this didn't look like a bunker, it was indeed a bunker but about only the size of my daughters hula-hoop.  It had no lip at all so many thoguht he was just in a disturbed area of ground and that was really only sand moved by wind.

  The main problem can related to Dutisn Johnson because every player is given a rules sheet, on the rules sheet it stated "all areas of sand are to be treated as such."  So in this case if Dustin Johnsons would have read the sheet he would have known he was in a bunker.  But I will give Dustin credit for admiting he didn't read the rules sheet.  Also I was standing right there when he hit the shot and I couldn't even tell that he grounded his club.  All I was worried about was what's the best spot to veiw the playoff.

  In my view the PGA rules officials inforced this rule correctly however I think this could easily have been avoided.

• neildiamond11790 1,115 Posts

  Mon, Aug 16 2010 5:38 AM

  I just dont see why with them being the last group on the course, and probably had a rules official within 20ft of him couldn't have made the call right away.  To wait until after the 18th was completed is just cruel.  I think when you are going to have a venue such as this that anything outside of the ropes that fans are trampling needs to be treated as a waste bunker.  Inside the ropes bunker, outside the ropes waste bunker.  When they first mentioned it was a bunker I thought it was maybe the trampled part of a larger bunker, but KOTC what you are saying is that the little piece he was in was the actual bunker? 

• HoleItSucker 53 Posts

  Mon, Aug 16 2010 5:40 AM

  You know who benefits the most from all this controversy about the PGA Championship?  Matt Kuchar, who absolutely imploded on the final day.  Were it not for Johnson's snafu, Kuchar's low 80s final round choke job would be going down in history.  He should build a shrine right smack dab in the middle of that junior varsity bunker.

• KingOfTheCourse 419 Posts

  Mon, Aug 16 2010 6:20 AM

  neildiamond11790:

  I just dont see why with them being the last group on the course, and probably had a rules official within 20ft of him couldn't have made the call right away.  To wait until after the 18th was completed is just cruel.  I think when you are going to have a venue such as this that anything outside of the ropes that fans are trampling needs to be treated as a waste bunker.  Inside the ropes bunker, outside the ropes waste bunker.  When they first mentioned it was a bunker I thought it was maybe the trampled part of a larger bunker, but KOTC what you are saying is that the little piece he was in was the actual bunker? 

  Yes, Dustin Johnson was in a bunker, infact If you blew up an overview of the hole I could show you the exact bunker.