Johnson's penalty still the hottest topic

[Kilroy]

Dustin Johnson may be having the week off after his heartbreaking end to last weekend's PGA Championship, but he still cannot escape the spotlight.

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[BC MIST]

Dustin Johnson may be having the week off after his heartbreaking end to last weekend's PGA Championship, but he still cannot escape the spotlight.

Too bad Johnson's gaffe is the hot topic versus the stellar play by and the deserving attention that should be heaped upon Kaymar. It is interesting how we allow ourselves to be swept along in the sea of "It's not Johnson's fault, the rules are stupid,..." media coverage.

Immelman sums it up so simply, "At the end of the day, the onus is on the player and caddie," Finally, some honesty.

[stevek]

Too bad Johnson's gaffe is the hot topic versus the stellar play by and the deserving attention that should be heaped upon Kaymar. It is interesting how we allow ourselves to be swept along in the sea of "It's not Johnson's fault, the rules are stupid,..." media coverage.

Immelman sums it up so simply, "At the end of the day, the onus is on the player and caddie," Finally, some honesty.

Sure, blame it on the caddie!

Like last Sunday my second drive, right off the heel, straight into the woods! Damn Caddie wasn't where he sould have been!

[nokids]

Did Johnson ever admit to grounding the club? If he did, then i dont care how many people were standing in the bunker, he deserves what he got for not reading the local rules.

---------apparently he did----------

“Pretty muc,h he said that any piece of sand on the whole golf course is a bunker,” Johnson explained. “But then, you know. we looked on TV and I definitely grounded my club, which, I mean, I never denied.”

[adam]

Its a good thing for Nick Watney that all the attention has been drawn away from his Sunday meltdown.
If DJ made par and won the tournament Watney would be the one under the microscope for his awful round.

[macspesh]

Too bad Johnson's gaffe is the hot topic versus the stellar play by and the deserving attention that should be heaped upon Kaymar. It is interesting how we allow ourselves to be swept along in the sea of "It's not Johnson's fault, the rules are stupid,..." media coverage.

Immelman sums it up so simply, "At the end of the day, the onus is on the player and caddie," Finally, some honesty.

No doubt. I've been watching Kaymer for a while now on the Euro tour and he knows how to get it done. What a display!

Another topic that was overshadowed by Johnson's ruling was the complete lapse in judgement by Bubba Watson.
Going for the green in two out of deep rough when the score was tied was the biggest bone-headed move I've seen a PGA player make since Phil's infamous shot out of the rough at Winged Foot. Crazy!!

[sensfan63]

Too bad Johnson's gaffe is the hot topic versus the stellar play by and the deserving attention that should be heaped upon Kaymar. It is interesting how we allow ourselves to be swept along in the sea of "It's not Johnson's fault, the rules are stupid,..." media coverage.

Immelman sums it up so simply, "At the end of the day, the onus is on the player and caddie," Finally, some honesty.

The stupidity is in the course design and the resulting decision by the PGA re. the bunkers.

If you look at a bunker, and cannot tell that it is a bunker, there's something wrong.

[sensfan63]

No doubt. I've been watching Kaymer for a while now on the Euro tour and he knows how to get it done. What a display!

Another topic that was overshadowed by Johnson's ruling was the complete lapse in judgement by Bubba Watson.
Going for the green in two out of deep rough when the score was tied was the biggest bone-headed move I've seen a PGA player make since Phil's infamous shot out of the rough at Winged Foot. Crazy!!

There was no lapse. Watson had a fantastic lie in the rough. He simply hit a poor shot. If he lays up, makes bogey, and Kaymer makes par, all you'd hear is how he didn't have the guts to go for it.

Again, the lie was very good.

[mpare]

It may not be a design to your liking, but it's hardly stupid. The course decided, well before this tournament, that most, if not all, of these sandy areas were bunkers and should be treated as such. The Tour went out of its way to notify and warn all of the payers about this. If, after all of this, a player failed to exercise caution when he found himself in a sandy area, then he has only himself to blame. After all, if he was in doubt, he could and should have asked for a ruling.

Your preferred course of action would have been for the PGA to ignore the local rule as and when they'd like. That ad hoc approach would justly have been characterized as stupid, and rightly so.

The stupidity is in the course design and the resulting decision by the PGA re. the bunkers.

If you look at a bunker, and cannot tell that it is a bunker, there's something wrong.

[sensfan63]

It may not be a design to your liking, but it's hardly stupid. The course decided, well before this tournament, that most, if not all, of these sandy areas were bunkers and should be treated as such. The Tour went out of its way to notify and warn all of the payers about this. If, after all of this, a player failed to exercise caution when he found himself in a sandy area, then he has only himself to blame. After all, if he was in doubt, he could and should have asked for a ruling.

Your preferred course of action would have been for the PGA to ignore the local rule as and when they'd like. That ad hoc approach would justly have been characterized as stupid, and rightly so.

Don't get me wrong, I like the course itself. I just don't agree with calling something a "bunker" when there had been hundreds of spectators in said bunker throughout the week. This NEVER happens anywhere else the Tour plays. It is odd, to say the least, that it was played this way this time.

I would wager a large amount of money that when the week began (Monday) the so-called bunker was just grass on a hill. After thousands of people walked on/through the area, the grass wore away and PRESTO you have a bunker.

Loads and loads of BS.

EDIT - I found this picture of the scene on #18. No wonder Johnson was somewhat confused.

http://www.golfweek.com/news/2010/au...te-to-be-rude/

[BC MIST]

Loads and loads of BS.

EDIT - I found this picture of the scene on #18. No wonder Johnson was somewhat confused.

http://www.golfweek.com/news/2010/au...te-to-be-rude/

http://www.golfweek.com/photos/2010/aug/16/8629/
Same article. I can now understand why DJ was so confused. There is obviously no way that a sane man can tell if this is a bunker. After all, it has sand and a huge lip. Of course, if there was a rake, maybe then he would have been able to figure it out.

Or go here - http://www.torontogolfnuts.com/showt...=64389&page=11 and check the picture in post 275. "What a stupid...," he was.

[sensfan63]

http://www.golfweek.com/photos/2010/aug/16/8629/
Same article. I can now understand why DJ was so confused. There is obviously no way that a sane man can tell if this is a bunker. After all, it has sand and a huge lip. Of course, if there was a rake, maybe then he would have been able to figure it out.

Bash your head all you want.

On Monday, sure. It looked a little different on Sunday, didn't it?

Your second picture reference makes MY point stronger, not yours. wallbash

[sensfan63]

http://www.golfweek.com/photos/2010/aug/16/8629/
Same article. I can now understand why DJ was so confused. There is obviously no way that a sane man can tell if this is a bunker. After all, it has sand and a huge lip. Of course, if there was a rake, maybe then he would have been able to figure it out.

Or go here - http://www.torontogolfnuts.com/showt...=64389&page=11 and check the picture in post 275. "What a stupid...," he was.

And by the way, you act like he killed a small child by violating this rule. Why the disdain for Johnson, when he handled it quite well and really didn't say anything out of line at all?

[Kilroy]

Honestly that's absurd. The ruckus in this case has been caused by those in favour of ignoring the rules.

Seems to me that people can't tell the difference between a bunker and hard pan. So they look the other way like the refs do in the Hockey playoffs and someone wins when a penalty should have been assesed, but "aw gee it was awful intense down there on the field".

Raise the trophy for the wrong guy and figure out how to handle it the next time it happens and Hmmm... perhaps we need a rule for a situation like that...

[fundonny]

Agreed sensfan, no trace of humanity in these replies. Most folks have empathy for Dustin. Some are just holier the thou.

[mpare]

And this has what to do with your point?

...
Loads and loads of BS.

...

[Kilroy]

How is it "humane" to not apply the rules? I feel for him too, (empathetic) but I really don't get this.

no trace of humanity in these replies. Most folks have empathy for Dustin. Some are just holier the thou.

[fundonny]

Dan the fact that people who have been involved in professional golf in one way or another for decades are even debating this shows that it's not as black and white as bcmist would like. And like sensfan said, he's making him seem like a criminal on the golf course where many see him as a victim of a bad situation. Very robotic in my opinion. A case where the rule is there to trap the golfer instead of guide the golfer, forgive the pun.

[fundonny]

It's like we have Spock one side, Doc McCoy on the other side. We should just be like Scotty and have a drink.

[gbower]

I was at a tournament all week where there were a couple of penalties accessed to players that could have been avoided if they had read the notice and hard card. After the DJ mess up I would have thought that players would be reading a lot more info on the tournaments. Oh well I was wrong again.

[Kilroy]

I don't think that the number of people who disagree with a ruling's fairness makes much difference. Lots of opinions out there and some folks feel the rules are not fair. I disagree. Lines have to be drawn and the "arguably Grey" areas are always hotly debated. Nothing new there. I just happen to see the logic (and the necessity) of ALL rulings being boiled down to black and white. That's the process of making a ruling.

I also don't feel the "holier than thou" comment is appropriate, but whatever.

Dan the fact that people who have been involved in professional golf in one way or another for decades are even debating this shows that it's not as black and white as bcmist would like.

[sensfan63]

And this has what to do with your point?

I write like I converse. Sue me.

[sensfan63]

Honestly that's absurd. The ruckus in this case has been caused by those in favour of ignoring the rules.

Seems to me that people can't tell the difference between a bunker and hard pan. So they look the other way like the refs do in the Hockey playoffs and someone wins when a penalty should have been assesed, but "aw gee it was awful intense down there on the field".

Raise the trophy for the wrong guy and figure out how to handle it the next time it happens and Hmmm... perhaps we need a rule for a situation like that...

I don't think anyone is advocating ignoring the rules, Dan. It's just the overall situation. You have this patch of grass and sand, walked in all week by spectators, littered in, etc...and some speak of it like it's the most obvious-looking bunker in the world. It clearly was not (obvious-looking, that is).

[mpare]

I was tempted to respond in kind, but that is not my style, nor my predisposition.

My question was posed in all seriousness. I was interested in knowing what you intended to add to your argument by making that short statement. It's clear that you would rather attack me than answer a simple question. For that I am sorry.

I write like I converse. Sue me.

[sensfan63]

My question was posed in all seriousness. I was interested in knowing what you intended to add to your argument by making that short statement. It's clear that you would rather attack me than answer a simple question. For that I am sorry.

Attack you? In what way? Seriously...

[mpare]

The expression "So sue me" has been defined as " defiant challenge for an adversary to escalate a dispute." That is the way I assumed you intended it. Hence my response. It had not occured to me that it was intended to be neutral and devoid of its usual meaning when you used it much like, I suppose, your use of "Load and loads of BS."

Attack you? In what way? Seriously...

[Kilroy]

and some speak of it like it's the most obvious-looking bunker in the world. It clearly was not (obvious-looking, that is).

Sorry, but I am one of those that looks at it and sees an obvious bunker.

[mpare]

That which is depicted in this photograph certainly looks like a bunker to me as well: http://www.golfweek.com/photos/2010/aug/16/8629/

Sorry, but I am one of those that looks at it and sees an obvious bunker.

[Kilroy]

Yup. I was never in doubt and was dumbfounded when Ferhety kept going in about the no-lip thing.

1 There is definately a BIG lip.
2 Where is it written that a bunker even needs a lip?

I give up. This is just silly.

[sensfan63]

The expression "So sue me" has been defined as " defiant challenge for an adversary to escalate a dispute." That is the way I assumed you intended it. Hence my response. It had not occured to me that it was intended to be neutral and devoid of its usual meaning when you used it much like, I suppose, your use of "Load and loads of BS."

I think I'll hold back on the sarcasm and leave you with this...

"Loads and loads of BS" referred to the entirety of the Johnson situation, and was not a shot at you personally. I'm not sure how you saw it that way, but whatever.