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  2010 PGA Championship

GLORY'S LAST SHOT TURNS PGA NIGHTMARE FOR YOUNG DUSTIN JOHNSON
German golfer Martin Kaymer walked away with the Wanamaker Trophy, symbolic of his win on Sunday in the PGA Championship at the Whistling Straits golf course in Wisconsin. But others, like course designer Pete Dye and even the PGA itself, walked away with mud on their faces in terms of public perception.
Late in the afternoon on Sunday, 26-year old Dusting Johnson - memorable earlier this year for his meltdown in the U.S. Open after leading by five shots - held a one shot lead at 12-under par as he stepped onto the 18th tee and the 72nd and final hole of the tournament. Eighteen is a 500 yard par-4 with a creek running below a treacherous clover-shaped green; the hole is aptly named 'Dyeabolical'. Kaymer and Bubba Watson had already posted scores of 11-under. Known to be a long bomber with the driver, Johnson sprayed his tee shot well right, up into the crowd standing outside the restraining ropes, with his ball coming to rest in an small patch of sand, overgrown by grass and weeds, probably only 8 by 10 feet in size. After much bustling and gallery movement Johnson took aim from about 220 yards and proceeded to pull his shot short and left of the green, where he had a short pitch shot to a tight pin, which he executed brilliantly.
With a chance to win outright Johnson missed his 12 foot par putt. Immediately a PGA rules official approached him as he was walking off the green to talk with him about his play back in the small sandy patch. It turns out that, before taking his shot, Johnson had grounded his club (probably 3 times) in the sand, which was deemed to be a sand bunker, and therefore a hazzard. There are more than 1000 sand bunkers at the Pete Dye designed Whistling Straits. Instead of heading to the range to prepare for a three-way playoff for the championship, Johnson had to record a two stroke penalty and write down a 7 on hole number 18. [He would finish tied for 4th and win $270,833.] Anyone watching the scenario unfold on television had to be stunned. Later in a locker room interview Johnson told reporters, it never even crossed my mind that I was in a bunker. It’s a nearly reasonable notion, given the fact that the gallery had trampled the mixed sand and turf area, where straw-like grass was strewn about, and no rakes were in sight.
As the sports media processed the events of Sunday afternoon there seemed to be two opposing sentiments: one was that common sense isn’t in golf’s rule book; the other being don’t blame the PGA Tour for Johnson’s mistake. While the debate has taken some ugly turns in the golf blogosphere, I’ll try to provide a fair and unbiased look at the issue.
On Monday Fox Sports online columnist James Achanbach railed against the PGA for failing to take into account the reality of thousands of spectators: Rules officials should have taken charge and cleared the area. Though it is against the unofficial code of officiating, I wish someone could have cautioned Johnson in a situation such as this. As I watched Johnson’s play in the sand unfold I wondered what tournament Nick Faldo and Jim Nance (of CBS) were watching, and why they wouldn’t question the whole bunker situation. I think Johnny Miller would have been all over that one. The PGA failed to maintain order, claims Achenbach. A They allowed the (crowd) situation to get out of hand, he says, bitterly complaining that this is a black eye for golf; the Championship was decided not by a golf shot but by a rules sheet. From my view I couldn’t help but wonder what the whole episode unfolding at that small piece of sandy bunker would have been like if the player had been Tiger Woods, and the tournament on the line for him. I have the sense that Tiger’s caddy, Steve Williams, would have slowed the whole process down, bullied the crowds clear and summoned a rules man in a white shirt, with clipboard and walkie-talkie. And where were those eagle eye rules guys when Tiger had 15 spectators move a two-ton boulder in Scottsdale?
Much to my surprise players’ reaction to the Johnson nightmare was outspoken. Rickie Fowler Tweeted that from the TV coverage I never once thought of (Johnson) being in a bunker; I just thought it was a bare spot. I think a bunker that fans have been standing in all day should be considered a waste bunker. [You are permitted to ground you club in a waste area.] Jason Gore bluntly called what the PGA did an absolute BS ruling. Ian Poulter Tweeted that the ruling was shocking because of the sprawl of 900-plus bunkers and probably only 100 rakes. From longtime player Casey Wittenberg came the harshest criticism: Wow! The PGA of America just became the biggest joke in golf history! Closer to the actuality of what went on with Johnson on the 72nd hole short game guru Dave Pelz weighed in strongly with this observation: They should tear up the rules and start over. It’s way too complicated. Don’t hold your breath, Dave. The larger question is how will the PGA of America justify holding their Championship at tricked-up Whistling Straits in 2015? Players may boycott.
From the very first moment when players set foot on Whistling Straits during tournament week the PGA had posted the following notice: 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. Such irregularities of surface are a part of the game and no free relief will be available from these conditions. Each day for each round players were given a sheet specifically stating the local rules that were in effect, making undeniably clear how the sand rulings would be determined. How could Johnson not have wondered whether his ball was actually in a hazard? How could his caddy not have noticed? Why didn’t they call over a rules guy, since officials were there dealing with spectators anyway? There might have even been a question about getting relief from trampled ground-under-repair. Johnson admitted in a later interview, I only look at (the rules sheet) if I have a reason to, and I didn’t see I had a reason to. Maybe I should have looked to the rule sheet a little harder. And maybe his caddy should have done that for him.
There is little argument that what happened in the fading sunlight on Whistling Strait’s 18th hole was a brutal way for a contender to be denied his chance to capture a major title. But it seemed that Johnson did not intelligently size up the matter on the spot, which is something that happens when things come down to the last second in sports. Robert Lusetich of Foxsports.com rightly commented, 'It was sickening to watch and it didn’t seem fair. But don’t blame the PGA of America and don’t blame golf’s rules.' When all of the emotions and misperceptions are stripped away, we are left with the reality that each golfer is responsible for his own actions and decisions. Dustin Johnson blew it. But he didn’t whine and try to deny grounding his club ala Michelle Wie.
Over the years there have been quite a few mess-ups in important tournaments. Actually in 2004 at Whistling Straits, the first time the PGA Championship was played there, Stuart Appleby was victimized by the same bunker rules and assessed four penalty strokes. 'I’m very (ticked) and angered that this is the way the 2010 PGA came to an end', says Appleby. It just shows that 'fair' and 'golf' don’t come out of the same sports dictionary. Was the 1968 Masters title ripped from Roberto De Vicenzo’s grasp when he signed his card for a higher score than he shot? Maybe. Was the chance to win the PGA stolen from Dustin Johnson? I think not.