Dustin Johnson on 3

[gbower]

It was interesting watching the happenings on #3 with Dustin. No one including the video people could tell where the ball was and as it hit the trees it wasn't known or virtually certain that it was in the hazard so after looking for 5 minutes back to the tee he went. The ball was found within the next minute in the hazard but too late. Even though it was found in the hazard, once the 5 minutes was passed it was deemed a lost ball.
I hope a lot of tournament players were watching that as it's a situation that does happen at tournaments and the players always assume that the ball is in the hazard but it has to be known it's there, not just thinking it's there.

[quinner]

Since the ball is deemed lost the player MUST go back and re hit where they were previously correct? I just want to confirm that there would be no other option once the ball is deemed lost.

[AAA]

Since the ball is deemed lost the player MUST go back and re hit where they were previously correct? I just want to confirm that there would be no other option once the ball is deemed lost.

Correct

[leftylucas]

One of those strange situations where there were no cameras following the entry point.

[quinner]

Well there was a camera following the ball, but there were some obstacles in the way. So you couldn't see exactly where it entered.

[jvincent]

I was surprised that he didn't hit a provisional right away.

[gbower]

He didn't hit a provisional as he thought it was in a lateral water hazard and probably knew that he couldn't hit a provisional. He could have hit one if he thought it might have been lost outside the hazard.

[AAA]

I was surprised that he didn't hit a provisional right away.

Why do you think he could have played a provisional?

[jvincent]

His tee shot went intp a heavily wooded area that he could not see where the ball landed. Sounds like a provisional was warranted even though there was a hazard in the area.

After all his ball could have been lost outside the hazard so the option for a provisional was there.

[sensfan63]

He didn't hit a provisional as he thought it was in a lateral water hazard and probably knew that he couldn't hit a provisional. He could have hit one if he thought it might have been lost outside the hazard.

I can pretty much guarantee you that Johnson had no idea there was a hazard there. He was hitting his ball over 100 yards of trees, and then there were two massive tents as well. Couple that with the fact that he was about 50 yards left of the fairway, and, well, you get the point. I think he thought his ball was going to ok (in the relative sense that he could find it and hit it again).

[gbower]

The PGA players and caddies know where every hazard is on the courses they play.

[jvincent]

Yes, but when a hazard is surrounded by trees they should also know that it could be lost.

Mickelson had a similar situation in the Memorial and he hit a provisional. Now, you could argue that Johnson did not want to hit the provisional to take some decompression time but there was no other reason for him not to.

[AAA]

His tee shot went intp a heavily wooded area that he could not see where the ball landed. Sounds like a provisional was warranted even though there was a hazard in the area.

After all his ball could have been lost outside the hazard so the option for a provisional was there.

Makes sense. Thanks.