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.

A selection committee of approximately fifty members representing all facets of golf in Northern California will vote for a final recipient.  The 2010 NCGA Distinguished Service Award will be presented at the NCGA Annual Meeting on December 8 at Round Hill CC in Alamo.

A summary of the Distinguished Service Award and a Nomination Form may be downloaded by clicking on the link below.  To nominate someone for the award, please download and print the PDF version of the nomination form and fax or mail it according to the information at the bottom of the form. You may also e-mail a nomination by reviewing the form and sending a message with the required information to dbentley@ncga.org.

Thank you for your consideration and help in ensuring another quality recipient is selected this year. All nominations are due by August 31, 2010.

Click here to download the award summary

Click here to download the nomination form

Matthew Hansen

Matthew Hansen		1. What does it mean to play in the NCGA Amateur? I played last year and lost my first match. So it’s been great to win some matches this year and play Spyglass.
		2. Any nerves on the first tee? Nerves of excitement
		3. Best practice drill or tip? I use a putting line, that helps.
		4. Ideal foursome Ernie Els, Adam Scott and Jack Nicklaus
		5. One word to describe yourself. Competitive

John Catlin

John Catlin		1. What does it mean to play in the NCGA Amateur? It’s awesome to play a golf tournament at Spyglass. It’s so different to play it under these conditions…I love it!
		2. Any nerves on the first tee? A little bit, especially today. After making a 25-footer on #2 I settled down.
		3. Best practice drill or tip? Always compete when you practice.
		4. Ideal foursome Probablystill Tiger, my great grandfather and Ben Hogan
		5. One word to describe yourself. Hard-working

Stephan Stallworth

Stephan Stallworth		1. What does it mean to play in the NCGA Amateur? It’s a very old championship, so the tradition.
		2. Any nerves on the first tee? I had more nerves coming down the stretch than on the 1st tee. I knew I had to keep playing well.
		3. Best practice drill or tip? I like to pause at the top of my swing on the range, working on my transition.
		4. Ideal foursome Ben Hogan, Lee Trevino and Tiger Woods
		5. One word to describe yourself. Calm

Bracket
Yardages
Round of 16 – Results
Quarterfinals – Results
Semi-Finals – Results
Finals – Results & Scorecards

Finals

Spyglass Hill
August 13,2010

PEBBLE BEACH – The early morning fog and mist quickly burned-off, transforming the tranquil Spyglass Hill into a perfect setting for the finals of the 4th Annual Senior Match Play Championship.

Dan Bieber of Green Valley CC claimed his first NCGA title in 10 years, besting Merced’s Rob Thompson 2 and 1. Bieber, winner of the 2000 NCGA Masters Championship, managed to hold off the NCGA cagey veteran who won this championship in 2007 and 2008 and continues to play at a high level of excellence well into his 60s.

Champion Dan Bieber

In their fifth match in three days, the Green Valley member took an early lead and would not relinquish it for the rest of the day. On the 2nd hole, Thompson conceded Bieber’s putt for par to give him his initial 1-up advantage. Thompson quickly fired back with a birdie on the downhill par-3 3rd, to pull the match back to all-square. “Rob was tenacious, right from the start,” said the champion.

Thompson had trouble with his short game on holes 5 and 6 allowing Bieber to increase his lead. A slice on the 7th required Bieber to punch out and concede Thompson’s putt for par. On holes 8 through 12 both players shot matching scores, heightening the competition into the back nine.

Bieber’s putt for birdie lipped out on 9 for a tap-in par. The Alamo resident got up-and-down well on 13, increasing his lead to 2-up. Thompson’s  par on 14 further narrowed the gap. “Everytime I thought I was good, [Thompson] would two-putt to match me,” said Bieber. On the 17th, Thompson missed a birdie putt and conceded Bieber’s par for a 2-up victory.

Champion Dan Bieber & Runner-up Rob Thompson

Bieber faced last year’s champion Jeff Burda in a closely contested semifinal while Thompson outlasted Doug Johnson in a 22 hole match on the other side of the bracket.

Bieber recently played in the U.S. Senior Open where his son Jake caddied for him. Jake is on the golf team at the University of Arizona and will be playing in the U.S. Amateur at Chambers Bay at the end of this month where Dan will in return caddy for him. “For those opportunities to both come in the same year – We’re just elated,” said the champion who can now add the NCGA Senior Match Play title to his year’s accomplishments.

Finals Photo Gallery

Semifinals

Spyglass Hill GC

August 12, 2010

PEBBLE BEACH – Dan Bieber will go head-to-head with Rob Thompson in the finals of tomorrow’s 4th Annual NCGA Senior Match Play Championship at Spyglass Hill.

Finalist Dan Bieber

Bieber faced last year’s champion Jeff Burda in a close-cut semifinal. The Green Valley member took his initial 1-up lead on the 4th hole when Burda’s putt for par rolled off the lip of the hole. Burda conceded a birdie putt on the 6th and Bieber went 2-up. “I made a few key putts early to put me in a good position,” said the Alamo resident. Alternating birdies on the back nine increased the suspension of the competition. “The back nine was great. It was very close. I tried to win a hole and then Jeff would come back and make a birdie,” said Bieber.  He was dormie 2 going into 17 and again dormie 1 headed to the final 18th hole. “We both kept fighting hard. I was fortunate to make par on the final hole.” Beiber finished 1-up when Burda missed a putt for birdie. “Jeff is consistently one of the best players. It was a real honor to play and compete with him,” said the finalist.

Finalist Rob Thompson

The Fresno State fraternity brothers, Rob Thompson and Doug Johnson, had the longest match of the day, playing 22 holes. Thompson, a two-time past champion of this event, exemplified his knowledge and expertise on the greens while Johnson got up and down extremely well throughout the day. Thompson’s long putts were unstoppable. The Merced CC member took his first lead on the 2nd hole with Johnson conceding his par putt. Again, with no lead greater than 2-up, Thompson maintained his lead until going back to all-square after 12. A pair of bogeys turned over the lead to Johnson who was dormie 1 going into 18. At that point the past champion made a 40-foot birdie putt to force a playoff.  With Burda graciously acting as a forecaddie, the competitors both shot even par on the next three holes to hold all square. Thompson then made another long birdie putt to win the match 1-up.

Bieber and Thompson will face off in the championship round tomorrow at 7:15 a.m. at Spyglass Hill.

Photo Gallery

Spyglass Hill GC
August 11, 2010

Quarterfinals

Jeff Burda

PEBBLE BEACH- Jeff Burda, Dan Bieber, Doug Johnson and Rob Thompson advanced to the semifinals of the 4th Annual NCGA Senior Championship at Spyglass Hill.

For the afternoon round the sun came out creating a picturesque setting. Some players quickly established dominant leads while other crept in for unforeseen upsets.

The two finalists from last years’ championship, Burda and Adolph, faced one another again this year in the quarterfinals. Adolph conceded a putt on the 4th hole when Burda took a 1-up initial lead. The Medesto resident was 2-up on the front nine then closed Adolph out quickly ending the round on the 14th hole, securing a 6 and 4 win in another strong round.

The biggest surprise came from Johnson’s upset over No. 2 seed Mark Miller of Roddy Ranch. Johnson bested Miller 7 and 6 to make an early advance to the semifinals. Johnson went 1-up on the first hole and maintained his lead through the 12th hole. Bieber had a similar attack on Herb Jensen when he took the lead on the second hole and held on through the 14th ending with a 5 and 4 victory. Beiber went 3-up on the first four holes. After conceding Bieber’s putt for par on 10, Jensen was unable to gain back any ground.

Doug Johnson

The 2008 champion Thompson is back in the semifinals this year. After taking the lead on the 2nd hole, Thompson bested Jim Knoll at the end of an up-and-down battle, alternating 1-up and 2-up leads through the front nine. Knoll held in there closely going even with Thompson on holes 8 though 13, but conceded his putt for par on the 14th, followed by Thompson’s putt for birdie on the par-3 15th.

Burda will face Bieber in the semifinal match starting tomorrow at 8:00 a.m., while Johnson and Thompson tee off at 8:15 a.m.

Dan Bieber

Round of 16
PEBBLE BEACH – The first round of the NCGA Senior Match Play Championship began Wednesday at Spyglass Hill with the top 16 senior golfers in Northern California competing for the title.

Defending champion Jeff Burda of Del Rio CC filled the first quarterfinals slot of the day with an early victory over Salinas Fairways GC’s Neil Duffy. After an early 1-up lead on the first hole, Duffy conceded a putt for par on the 8th hole and was unable to recover. Burda recorded a 5 and 4 win for a powerful first round to start this year’s Championship.

Another 2009 finalist, Rob Adolph of San Joaquin CC, nabbed another win over Scott Anderson of San Ramon Valley. Adolph went up-1 the first two holes, while Anderson took the lead up to 3 on the 7th. Adolph was able to recover his early lead on the 13th and finished 1-up through 18.

Green Valley CC’s Dan Bieber bested Michael Harding of Roddy Ranch GC despite a sudden lead change on the 14th hole by Harding. Bieber quickly took over on the 16th to win the match 1-up.

Rob Thompson

In one of the most competitive matches of the day, Herb Jensen of Del Paso defeated Rancho Murieta’s Don Thames 3 and 2. With three different lead changes and seven changes between a leader and even score, the round ended when Jensen rapidly went 3-up between 14 and 16, leaving Thames no room to recover.

Mark Miller also of Roddy Ranch claimed a quarterfinals spot with a win over Mayacama’s Paul Balatti. Miller had the most dominating lead of the opening round when he went 6-up through hole 11. The Antioch resident finished on 18 at 2 and 1.

Doug Johnson of Fig Garden bested John Enright of Sharp Park in a competitive match where the largest lead was held by Enright when he was up-2 on the 5th hole. The 2009 semifinalist Johnson secured the lead on 12 and finished 2-up.

Rooster Run’s Jim Knoll and Ronald Johnson of Diable had the longest match of the day playing 21 holes. Knoll prevailed in the event of four lead changes.

Rob Thompson of Merced edged out Peter Moren of Blackhawk CC finishing 1-up. Thompson took back his early lead when Moren conceded his birdie putt on the par-5 14th. The quarterfinals matches were played Wednesday afternoon, with the semifinals on Thursday and the final 18-hole match on Friday.

In a process called “scripting,” prominent PGA Tour professionals are outfitted with the latest fashion. This gives retailers an opportunity to order that same product well in advance so that what you see over the weekend is well-stocked in the pro shops come Monday morning.

Click below for a peek at what TaylorMade/adidas Golf professionals Dustin Johnson (pictured right, from the final round of the U.S. Open in June), Sergio Garcia and Sean O’Hair will wear each day at Whistling Straits.

• Dustin Johnson
• Sergio Garcia
• Sean O’Hair