Dustin Johnson at the PGA
The bunker where Johnson’s ball came to rest
Dustin Johnson came to the 18th hole at the PGA Championship at Whistling Straights with a one-shot lead over Martin Kaymer and Bubba Watson. His tee shot on the 18th was very wide to the right and landed among the spectators on the hill above the fairway. The ball came to rest in a sandy area amidst the gallery. When Johnson arrived, the crowd had been moved back so that he could see where his ball was. Earlier in the week, the PGA had published a supplement to the rules to clarify that the all sandy areas designed as bunkers were deemed to be bunkers. This read:
Supplementary Rules of Play 1. Bunkers: 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.
This statement was put into every player’s locker, posted around the locker room and was the first item on the local rules given to the players on the first tee Even though the area was filled with footprints, garbage and even spectators, it did not lose its status as a bunker.
Before playing his shot, Johnson grounded his club to the side and behind his ball. Rule 13-4 states in part:
Except as provided in the Rules, before making a stroke at a ball that is in a hazard, … the player must not … touch the ground in the hazard … with his hand or a club.
Johnson was clearly in violation of Rule 13-4, the penalty for which is two strokes. He then went on to take 5 strokes to play the hole for a total of 7 and dropped from a tie for first into a tie for fifth.
Dustin realized his error when shown the video in the scoring area and his score was adjusted. He later stated that he had not read the supplementary rule.
(AP) Dustin Johnson being informed of his two-stroke penalty
A number of issues have been raised by this incident.
1) Were the areas really designed to be played as bunkers? On the Golf Channel on Sunday night, Pete Dye, the architect of the course, stated that it was his intention that these areas should be played as bunkers.
2) Could or should the walking rules official have reminded Johnson that they were bunkers? The walking referee with the group was David Price who is one of the top rules officials with the PGA of America. He could have reminded Johnson, or Johnson could have asked him. There have been reports that he asked Johnson if he needed any help and was told no.
3) Johnson’s caddie had placed the clubs in the hazard. Some people were concerned that this also could be a penalty. Exception 1 to Rule 13-4 states that as long as nothing is done to test the condition of the hazard, a player may place his clubs in the hazard. Therefore there was no penalty for this action.
4) Should the officials have told Johnson of the problem before he completed the hole? This is always a difficult issue for officials. In general we like to inform a player of a penalty between the play of two holes, or at worst when the player is leaving the teeing ground of a hole so that it can be discussed without disturbing the play of the hole. Had this been any hole other than 18, he would probably have been informed on the next tee. On 18, there really was nothing that could be done that wouldn’t have slowed up play or distracted him from the rest of his play on the hole.
5) Should the spectators have been moved out of the bunker before Johnson arrived and/or played his shot? If this could have been done, it might have been more obvious that the area was a bunker as can be seen from the picture above. Unfortunately, this was not done.
The outcome of this was very unpleasant as nobody wants to see any player be penalized, especially when he is leading a tournament on the final hole. In the end, Dustin Johnson must bear the responsibility for his actions as he failed to read the local rules and also didn’t ask the official on the spot about the status of the area where his ball had come to rest.
Hopefully this will cause more players to read local rules and ask questions of officials before taking actions that might get them penalized.
– John VanderBorght is the NCGA Junior Tour Operations Manager. He has scored a perfect 100 on the USGA/PGA rules test a number of times.
The PGA officials are directly to blame for not moving the gallery back to a reasonable distance. As the video clearly shows, the gallery was extremely close, making it very difficult for Johnson to determine that his ball in fact lie in a bunker, and not just a “patch of dirt” that had been created by the huge galleries over an entire week of golf.
August 16th, 2010 at 7:56 pmIn my opinion, the PGA officials had the responsibility of informing Johnson that his ball lie in a bunker. They performed their duties very poorly.
I would question if he was in the bunker at all. I watched the replay close to 50 times and it appears that his ball is outside the bunker. If you watch the replay and look at the grass line around the bunker you can see that the sand was clearly pushed or moved by foot trafic to cover the grass. Dustin’s ball appears to me to be in line with the where the grass would have been.
August 16th, 2010 at 8:37 pmIf that area of the course was to be considered a bunker, it should look no different than a fairway bunker or a greenside bunker. The grass around it should have been trimmed and well defined. Even though Dustin did not read the supplement, the supplement should have identified any areas that may not fit the normal description of a bunker.
August 16th, 2010 at 10:22 pmIf it looks like a bunker and had sand like a bunker Dustin had to at least suspect that it possably could be one. His caddy should of at least mentioned it to him to be carefull in there when they were discussing everything else. It would also help in the future if in these major championships if as the players go thru designate roving marshalls for crowd control, There were probally just a few assigned to that area and it got out of hand.
August 17th, 2010 at 12:51 amHard lesson learned but he took it like a pro.
I believe the rule stating that all sand areas whether inside or outside the ropes must be played as a bunker was made so that the rules officials did not have to make decisions regarding relief after spectators trampled the bunkers. If these bunkers are all considered part of the course. spectators should have been told that they are part of the field of play and that they are not allowed to stand in or walk through. Nor should vehicles be allowed to make tracks in them. Bunkers should not be “grandstands”!!
August 17th, 2010 at 8:05 amDustin took his punishment like a pro, but the PGA acted like amateurs in this issue. Here we have a multi-million dollar event, viewed live by millions and officials with the last group that did not step up and take action or responsibility. And, where was the crowd control. The ruling on the spot should have been made by an official that ‘unusual conditions’ existed, obviating the definition of a bunker for Justin’s lie. The crowd rendered the ‘bunker’ as unrecognizable and the officials should have acted accordingly.
August 17th, 2010 at 10:58 amThe picture shown appears nothing like scene when Dustin addressed his ball. There is plenty of fault to go around starting with the PGA and their overly broad publication of local rules. Crowds should never be allowed in bunkers as this may have impeded the determination that the ball was, in fact, in a hazard. Finally, Dustin and his caddy failed to exercise good judgment (and caution) and caution by not reading the local rules and especially making sure on the final hole (with a championship in sight)any action or behavior would result in any penalty. In the future, the PGA and tournament officials must live up to their responsibility by making sure that there is no question about the definition of the course and crowd control.
August 17th, 2010 at 11:02 amThe photo you are using is not the exact location of DJ ball. It was lower and left of this picture. On the TV telecast, which I’ve watched 10 times that the margin of the bunker (lip) was to the right of where DJ’s ball came to rest. And the sand he was on had been washed or pushed out of the bunker.
August 17th, 2010 at 11:08 amMy question would be “If the lip of the bunker had been compromised how do you determine if he is in or outside of the bunker?
This was very poor form by the PGA in setting up the venue and policing the crowds. And when has a player ever had to play a shot from a bunker in a major with 35 people standing in it?
Such a horrible job of crowd control. What a pity for Dustin Johnson. Since when can the crowd be in the hazard with the player? I wonder how many other instances during the 4 rounds that another player did the same thing? I guarantee that it happened many times. The officials need to know when to stay out of it! This makes me really annoyed with the game of Golf!
August 17th, 2010 at 4:41 pmThe PGA advised all of the players in advance, not only verbally, but in writing, about the bunker situation at Whistling Straights. If Johnson and/or his caddie had taken the time to consult a PGA Rules Official, as they had already done twice in their final round, they would have known without any doubt that Dustin’s ball was sitting in a hazard and that his club could not be grounded in addressing the ball. Golf is a very complex game which requires not only physical talent but mental acuity as well. It would appear by all accounts that Dustin and his caddie had a serious brain lapse at the most critical point in his final round. It was most unfortunate for him, but, hopefully, an opportunity for him to grow and mature as he pursues his first (of many?) major(s).
August 17th, 2010 at 5:35 pmIts simple as this!! DUSTIN played the shot like every single competitor thought what it was if not most of them unless its PHIL or JIM f. or any other VEteran out there but PGA should consider the fact that they didnt handle the situation well coz i know in my heart if its any other MAJOR EVENT or tournament… they will consider to ask the players (BUBBA and KAYMER) if its ok for them if he can be in playoffs. Rule is a rule but have we forget that golf is a GENTLEMAN’s game and we always want who’s on top of their game not to put down WATSON and KAYMER who did a faboluos job but we all know that DUSTIN had an oppurtunity to win a MAJOR taken away by A RULE… QUESTION!!! if you were to play that shot would you think its a bunker? if im playin it my answer is NO>
August 17th, 2010 at 9:11 pmbottom line: Johnson and his caddy are at fault for not reading the rules..also, given fact that johnson hits it all over the place, odds are that he was in or near similar type areas at various times during the week…he knew what the rule was then..only difference–72nd hole of a major, tons of spectators up close and emotions of the moment impeded their ability to think clearly..do you think woods, nicklaus, palmer watson etc would have done the same thing..not a chance..they and their caddies would have had the crowd moved back and bunker would have been very clear…also, existence of sand would have made them slow down and assess the situation…this is second time that brown has let johnson down in a major..he should have taken control at pebble before meltdown at 3 and 4..
August 17th, 2010 at 9:27 pmI watched it more than ten times, evaluated the incident, and listened/read comments. Granted, rules are rules and DJ handled this professionally. However, PGA needs to take responsibility when appropriate and this is the appropriate time. This very “odd” rule was very poorly delivered to the players. It looks like DJ was set for failure….
August 17th, 2010 at 9:30 pmdisagree that rule was “poorly” delivered to the players…it was number 1 on the rules sheet given to the players, posted in the locker room and posted on mirrors in players bathroom..also, it was undoubtedly mentioned to the players before they teed off…having played in many major events, i can honestly tell you that the officials go out of their way to make players aware of “specail” rules in effect on the course…this is even done at NCGA and CGA events..don’t forget, this rule was due to stuart appleby incident in 2004…also, tv commentators talked about this rule all week…it is not too much to require that players be able to hit shots, chew gum and read basic english
August 17th, 2010 at 9:48 pmI think issue 5 in Mr. VanderBorght’s analysis is the most crucial. I have watched over 100 golf tournaments on TV and in person, and I have never seen rules officials allow spectators to stand in a bunker with a player while he made his recovery shot. This is no doubt the chief reason Johnson did not realize he was in a bunker — he was surrounded by spectators. This sentence should have been added to the supplementary rule at the end: “… Also, if a ball is hit outside the ropes into the spectator area, play must halt until a rules official arrives to determine whether the ball is in a bunker, and if the ball is a bunker, to clear the bunker of all spectators before the player makes a stroke. …”
August 17th, 2010 at 9:48 pmRule 33.2 The Course a. Defining Bounds and Margins- The committee must define accurately: (i) the course and out of bounds, (ii) the margin of water hazards and lateral water hazards, (iii) ground under repair, and (iv) obstructions and integral parts of the course. Section II Definitions – Bunker is a hazard consisting of a prepared area of ground often hollow, from which turf or soil has been removed and replaced with sand.
Whistling Straits appears to be built on sand dunes based on its location to Lake Michigan and planted with grass to give it a links format. Other shots from the course kicked up amounts of sand supporting the underlying sand sub-terrain landscape. Permitting spectators to stand on a slopping sandy hill, designated lower down the hill by a rope leads to the visual observation that the rope was a boundary area that had been defined by the committee. In that three days of play had occurred and numerous people hand trampled through this area it is very logical that the sandy hillside could have been warn down to a flat area. The committee is at fault for not placing the boundary at the top of the incline to visibly identify bunkers in this area and under later examination there were several bunkers.
Dustin should have also asked the rules offical for a ruling and or asked the crowd to move back to determine the nature of the playing area. Overall it is a very unfortunate way for this tournament to end. Kind of like hanging chads.
August 17th, 2010 at 10:10 pmI can believe it, I wanted to throw up when I saw what they did. The PGA officials. I get that there were signs posted, but where was the walking official and why would you allow people inside a bunker. There is no other golf course in America where you can stand in a bunker. Dustin Johnson in my mind was cheated out of a chance to win the PGA
August 18th, 2010 at 12:10 amFirst of all I am a huge fan of Dustin Johnson. Unfortunately, the only person to blame for this incident is DJ. When I saw this whole thing unfold i was very upset with the PGA like many of you. However, at further glance this specific rule was posted, and sent to all players, regardless of traffic and footprints or whatever, these bunkers are to be played as bunkers. We also must remember that there are over 1200 bunkers on this golf course. It is physically impossible to keep the gallery from trampling these areas. Hopefully DJ learned from this, he handled it like a gentleman. He screwed up and he knows it. The PGA is not to blame here. If you people have ever played in a real competitive tournament you would know that these kinda things happen to people all the time. we all think its unfair at first but we must remember, This is Golf.
August 18th, 2010 at 6:59 amI did not like the fuling but DJ surely showed a lot of class. I’m sure he will be back. You have my support.
August 18th, 2010 at 7:34 amAt a PGA major the bunkers should be clearly defined unlike the disgrace at Whistling Straits. Cut the edges of all the bunkers, put rakes in, and station a volunteer at all the traps outside the ropes to keep spectators out. If necessary use the white paint used at local tournaments to mark a circle around the area. This was a lazily run tournament to rely on a paragraph on a local rules sheet. The sand his ball was on was washed out or pushed out of the margin of the hazard. Was this then “ground under repair” or “abnormal ground conditions.” We ask these athletes to play at an incredible level to entertain us, the PGA needs to step it up as far as rules and preparation.
August 18th, 2010 at 8:19 amWell thank God Dustin Johnson has the support of Roy who cant spell. Did you all forget that he hit his ball about 70 yards right of the fairway?. Most golf courses thats either out of bounds, or somewhere you really don’t want to be. Johnson was lucky to have such a great lie and actually be able to play a shot. Plus the PGA official that you all are wondering about was right next to DJ during the entire situation. He even asked him if he needed help, almost as a hint that DJ would need a ruling
August 18th, 2010 at 11:02 amTo answer the ruling question… Yes the Ruling was correct he should have incurred the penalty.
Is a player responsible to know the Local written rules for a tournament, yes.
But design of the course is to blame for the allowance of the misinterpretation of the rule.
Bunkers have rakes in them… so if Pete Dye (worst golf Architect ever) wants a course to have 1200 bunkers. That course needs to be prepared to purchase 1200 rakes, otherwise they need to invest in Red paint to outline natural wastelands that are hazards and need to be recognized as hazards.
How the PGA could allow for such a huge discrepancy in Major play is insane… and Whistling Straights should not be considered a venue in the future… I won’t watch in 2000 whatever…
August 18th, 2010 at 11:14 amVery unfortunate situation, but one that also occurred in an earlier tournament several years ago. Given that knowledge, the scanty efforts of the PGA to prevent a recurrence is the underlying issue. If the sand pit is outside the ropes and has no rakes, and is covered by spectator detritus, a normal conclusion would be that the sand pit is simply a waste area and not a “bunker”. The PGA instructions given their dismal performance should have been in big red letters…if there is sand play it like a bunker. Maybe next time they will put notes indicating that inside the stocking stuffers that the players receive.
Someday, the elderly egos associated with the course will no longer be there and the cost of maintaining the many sand pits will probably render this a moot issue.
The weather at the site varies greatly from day to day and from hour to hour. The fog issues and high winds certainly create an uneven playing field. The other quirky aspects of this course, such as the abrupt fall off from the par 3 that dearly cost Steve Elkington, really render this course not a classic but a trumped up venue attractive solely by the size of the purse. The PGA surely has many other worthy venues that deserve their championship.
August 18th, 2010 at 1:49 pmI have only 1 comment: I’ve never, in over 35 years of playing and watching all levels of golf (Junior, Amateur, College, & Professional), viewed a tournament golf course where spectators were allowed to walk in or otherwise disturb a bunker. Leave it to the PGA of America to establish a 1st!
August 18th, 2010 at 4:30 pmDustin showed alot of composure and class during the aftermath of this event. Even with the on course reporter David Faraday trying his best to get Dustin to say something controversial when he exited the dressing room, Dustin handled himself like a true professional. As far as the penalty itself, I’m sure the tournament sheet covered this situation, but I can’t recall another time when spectators were allowed in a hazard as a player was hitting his shot.
August 18th, 2010 at 4:51 pmIn years of watching golf tournaments, I have never seen this type of situation before. On Sunday, DJ was in the lead, so virtually every shot he hit the final 18 holes was shown on live television. Over 4 rounds of golf, with 160 players, it is not possible to film every shot, so it is entirely possible that another golfer played a similar shot from another “bunker” and was not penalized. This calls into question the validity of the scoring for the entire tournament, which cannot be a good thing for the game of golf. The solution–in the future, have the PGA make absolutely certain that there is no question what is (and is not) a bunker.
August 19th, 2010 at 9:00 amThe ultimate responsibility lies with Dustin, and he was very classy in his response. HOWEVER, allowing spectators to trample through “bunkers” and even stand in the bunkers as he hit? The PGA shares the blame for not controlling the crowd better.
August 19th, 2010 at 9:09 amThis is yet another example of “zero tolerance” and an attitude in golf that irritates the dickens out of the average golfer. Yet another reason rounds played is down.
August 19th, 2010 at 10:17 amThe PGA position on this issue is absurd. Since when are spectators allowed to walk and stand in bunkers? Why should anyone rake a bunker after playing in from it, as we are all required by common courtesy? To make sure we understand how their brain malfunctions, the PGA decision makers suggest that the same inane rules will apply during the next time their championship is played at Whistling Straits.
August 19th, 2010 at 10:41 amThe bunker notification that the PGA provided prior to the start of play was to cover their butt’s, knowing the horrendous condition of that course. It was a disgrace to hold such a major event on a “sand pit”. NO bunker…DJ was hosed royally !!
August 19th, 2010 at 1:11 pmThe fact that someone was hired to count the bunkers and this course and could not get an accurate count, (in fact he quit-frustrated over the fact he could not determine where the course ended and the bunkers began)is conclusive evidence that there was no way for DJ to tell if he was in or out of one of these areas.
August 19th, 2010 at 2:47 pm1. it is on the player
August 19th, 2010 at 2:51 pm2.you usually stay close enough as a rule official TO HELP IF ASKED
3it is obvious that johnson and caddy did not fulfill their obligation as to READING THE local rules sheets…again on the player
4crowd control was an issue…but the walking rules official has to expect course marshalls to handle the situation…
3…and as far as im concerned….if i heard the telecast right….plus the visual…he possibly had another rule violation by asking a person to block a sliver of sunlight that kept filtering through the crowd
as he attempted to figure out his situation…rule13.2…plus decisions 14.2/0.5 and 14.2/2.5
4. based on my experience as an amateur rules official for 16 years
That untimely penalty is going to hurt for a long time no doubt! Really sucked to watch. At the same time, Caddie Brown was out to lunch again as he was on the 3rd tee a few Sundays ago? But then again caddies are supposed to show up, keep up, and “shut up” so the saying goes.
As for spectators trampling bunkers? I’m all for it!!! I get tired of seeing perfectly manicured golf on TV and where modern golf is heading. This sport and the courses are starting to look like Disneyland or some storybook garden with laser leveled tee boxes and greens rolling at 15. Tiger complaining about the greens at Pebble? Ya.. that’s where we’re heading. Golf courses don’t have to be perfect. Ya that’s how a fairway bunker 50 yards offline SHOULD look. Rarely raked and minimally maintained. It just exists.
August 19th, 2010 at 4:00 pmThe penalty was correct BUT the course is wrong. There were two type of bunkers in the PGA championship. Those within the ropse and not trampled, and those outside the ropes that were trampled, occupied by spectators and generally trashed. What is the purpose of 1200+ bunkers, just a gimmick. If bunkers are far from the fairway, and that is where the fans are walking those areas are waste areas or rough. They should turn those distant bunkers into rough and then this would not happen. Sad design for a course…having 1200+ bunkers is just something to say “my course has more bunkers than yours”. No more majors at Whistling Straits …ok for a us but not for a tournament with a crowd.
August 20th, 2010 at 3:26 pmThe golf course at Whistling Straits is a ‘monument to excess’ designed by Pete Dye, for the Kohler family. Not surprising, as I have had the opportunity to stay at the Kohler Club and dine in the golf course club house, where ‘excess’ is the common thread.
It’s sad that the ‘excess’ in the way of bunkers caused such a mess on the final hole of one of golf’s great majors. These bunkers serve no useful function other than to let the Kohler family boast about how many they have put on their golf course.
Pete Dye should be ashamed of himself for letting one man’s desire for excess get in the way of a potentially beautiful golf course. Unfortunately Pete Dye’s Whistling Straits design does nothing to compliment the natural beauty of the lay of the land at Whistling Straits. From the blimp photos and covrage, the excess of bunkers makes the golf couse look like it has leprosy! A disgusting mutilation of the natural beauty which can be found in the region.
Isn’t a great golf course supposed to compliment the land? Not mutilate it…
So why then does the PGA choose to have a major tournament there?
And also, why have the PGA officials not stepped up and done the “honorable thing”, as they would have the PGA touring pros do, and call a foul and assess themselves with a major penalty. They deserve it!
It seems odd that the PGA and PGA officials are not willing nor able to admit that they ‘had one major failing’ with this venue. They did a very poor job of policing the crowd. A worse job of providing a venue which would highlight the players instead of highlighting the problems with a golf course with an excess of useless bunkers.
As golfers we all know that we are not supposed to ground our clubs in a bunker/hazard. We get it.
But you first have to know that you are in fact in a bunker. No one, not even the CBS commentators or Golf Channel commentators knew that the ball had landed in a bunker (full of trash and grass from foot traffic).
The PGA officials failed, the rules official failed, Pete Dye failed in his awful design.
All three parties should be assessed major penalties.
August 20th, 2010 at 3:34 pmBALONEY!!!!
August 20th, 2010 at 4:33 pmDoes the PGA let spectators walk in the greenside bunkers?? Change the rules or do a better on course job of informing players about issues like this. It seems as if the PGA is out to get ya!!!
There should have been a rake next to each trap. If there were 1200 traps then there should have been 1200 rakes. Any trap without a rake should be determined a waste bunker.
August 20th, 2010 at 8:18 pmNCGA – If you are going to put up a photo for discussion, at least put up a correct photo.
August 21st, 2010 at 8:50 amThis spot is not where Dustin hit his shot from. It was left of the incorrect circle shown and lower outside of this picture.
The reason Dustin did not think he was in a bunker was not due to the local rule sheet, it was due to the fact he thought he was outside of the margin. The lip had been thrashed and it was questionable whether he was inside the margin if you look at the actual footage.
NCGA should be a little more careful with the photo’s you post for discussions.
The mistake was multiple by Dustin Johnson. (1)Didn’t read the local rules sheet. (2)Hit his tee shot 50-70 yards off line. (3)Didn’t ask for assistance from rules official when offered.
I guess you could handle this situation like the grandstand rule and given him a free drop in the first cut of rough. Come on people, you know the rules, play.
August 21st, 2010 at 10:42 amFrank – The question of the correct photo has been debated all week and is difficult to ascertain without the gallery standing in the bunker similar to what Johnson face. We are VERY careful on what we post; the other thing to consider is that whether this location or the one you speak of is correct, all the points being made are relevant.
August 21st, 2010 at 2:23 pmIf indeed, as people in this discussion are stating, the rules official asked D.J. if he needed “help” prior to his rules violation, he should be ashamed of himself for not telling D.J. he was in a bunker, instead of waiting till after the violation and playing “gotcha’ Too many of these rules officials are arrogant stuffed shirts that are there to eat doughnuts and hope to “catch” someone, instead of making themselves useful by speeding up play and “protecting the field” by helping ensure that all players abide by the rules.
August 21st, 2010 at 10:42 pm