Johnson's penalty still the hottest topic

[mpare]

I hardly think that's consistent with the spirit and intent of the rules.

...

Rule 1 - Do whatever the hell you want because all former rules are hereby deemed unfair. Gone.

[Shivas Irons]

It's seems many folks think DJ gave himself an unfair advantage by groudning his club, and should be subject to rule 13-4. What a heap o' dung that is.

I'm pretty sure DJ knows that you can't ground your club in a bunker, so he clearly thought this was a waste area. The fact that the gallery was standing in it, and the fact that it was littered with debris no doubt contributed to the confusion.

Whistling Straits is a joke, and if it hadn't been designed by Pete Dye the Open would never have been played there. The only way Dye could turn the land into a 'golf course' was by peppering it with 'bunkers'. Over 1000 'bunker's'? Come on, that's not good course design, that's the epitome of tricked up.

[LobWedge]

Chiming in late because I just got back from out West, and I hadn't seen the incident yet.

In any case the moral of the story here is, IMHO, when in doubt (especially in a major), ask for a ruling...

[Ruskie]

Chiming in late because I just got back from out West, and I hadn't seen the incident yet.

In any case the moral of the story here is, IMHO, when in doubt (especially in a major), ask for a ruling...

But that's just it: I don't think he was even in doubt. He thought it was trampled up rough.

But, whatever, one man's orange is another man's potato. He broke the rule, he got penalized, done. Lets move on.

[solstrum]

What I don't get is, with a lip like that how does one think that is not a bunker?
I blame the caddy. He should have moved the people back, saw the sand and told DJ
just to whoa up and take a second.

[Bill Wood]

Chiming in late because I just got back from out West, and I hadn't seen the incident yet.

In any case the moral of the story here is, IMHO, when in doubt (especially in a major), ask for a ruling...

yup - frankly I don't know why people are still talking about this. Probably because we all love Dustin. He broke a rule - should have known - if it was the USGA they would have told him. The golf course IMO is a little tricked up - lots of bunkers - but the rule sheet covers that.

[mpare]

The August 23 & 30 edition of Golf World has an interesting story, written by Bill Fields and Ron Sirak, on this incident under the title "Ruling Class." It contains a few more facts that may interest some of you. Even though DJ had not read the rules sheet, he had made two rules inquiries earlier in the round. On 14 "with his ball outside the hazard, Johnson asked Price [the veteran rules official] if there would be a penalty if he made contact with the bunker while making a practice swing. On No. 16, Johnson asked if he could remove stones from a bunker. A local rule allowed it, a stipulation explained on the same rules sheet that said all sandy hollows, even the tracked-up ones outside the gallery ropes, were being treated as hazards."

Pete Dye, the course's designer said "the bunker was clearly defined."

After arriving at the bunker (the situation there was chaotic with some 3,000 to 4,000 people on that hill), Price asked DJ "if there was anything he needed, if there was anything he could do." Johnson had no questions.

When discussing whether Price should have told Johnson that he was in a bunker the article goes on to say:

"First, Prince thought it was obvious the ball was in a bunker and that the bunker policy was well explained in the supplemental rules sheet. Second, in stroke play, officials are encouraged to be hesitant about such interference because any ruling affects players not in that group, unlike in match play."

" "There is nothing that prohibits a walking rules official from providing information on the rules to players either voluntarily or in response to questions from them," said USGA spokesman Pete Kowalski. "However, if he provides information voluntarily, he should ensure that he is impartial and provides it to all players." That's virtually impossible in stroke play. As stated in the Rules of Golf. "The player and his caddie are responsible for knowing the rules." "

It would appear that Price never saw DJ ground his club. The first he heard of it was when he received a radio call that DJ might have grounded his club. Price then asked Johnson if he had done so. He responded, in effect, that he was not certain if he had. "Upon seeing the TV replay in the scoring tent, Johnson was sure he had breached the rule."

"I've been in situations where a player gets extremely upset, uses a lot of profane language," Price said, "I'm telling you, this young man handled it with pure class. You hate to see it happen. Obviously, I feel for Dustin."