If a tour pro doesn't recognize it as a hazard, it is not a hazard. If it had been Tiger, no way they call a penalty.

Agreed! I bet the video for the past 4 days shows many of the same "violation" and they were never penalized.

If it had been Tiger, no way they call a penalty.

Nonsense

If a tour pro doesn't recognize it as a hazard, it is not a hazard. If it had been Tiger, no way they call a penalty.

That's ridiculous. The rules don't change for Tiger Woods, and they aren't enforced differently for him. It makes no difference whether or not a pro recognizes a hazard; if it's defined as a hazard - whether or not it looks like one - it's a hazard. That's like saying if Derek Jeter thinks it wasn't a strike, then it wasn't a strike. Nonsense, indeed.

If that was a bunker, then my wife's cat has a "bunker" according to this ruling, in her litterbox. Golf rules are at times just petty bs. For instance, why should a gollfer have to hit from some else's divot? I think that is akin to making a foul shooter, shoot with a sweaty basketball. Anyway, my game is so bad, any time I cheat, it doesn't help me at all. I just hit the next shot badly. :-D

Seems like it was plain bad luck that it was noticed that he grounded his club. Had this not been on the 18th hole and had he not been a front runner and had there not been a ton of cameras on him this wouldn't have been caught.

Even the commentators said the bunker issue was the first thing discussed, and done in detail. The rules prevail. My only issue was that the officials waited entirely too long to make the call. God forbid if he had made that last shot and thought he had won. Talk about a bad situation being made worse!!!

I am impressed with Johnson, though. I thought he handled it very well, given the circumstances. This could have been helped if there was better crowd control.

Oh, and one other non related issue rather irked me. When the crowd was asked to back off so Johnson could make the shot from what was later deemed a bunker, I couldn't help but notice all the trash those people left all over the ground. What a beautiful golf course, and the just drop their trash anywhere. That is a shame, and a sign of disrespect for the beauty of the course. I'm a golfer, and regrettably, a smoker. I don't even drop a cigarette butt on the ground, but put them in my pocket until I find a waste container.

It is not a univerasl definition of golf as to what constitutes a bunker. Local rules for that particular course prevail. PERIOD. The rules were well posted on each hole and in the locker room AND handed out to each player. If a player, regardless if they are a professional, fails to read the rules, then they suffer the consequences. And yes, I believe, especially this year, that Tiger would have been penalized for the same infraction. Too bad for Johnson, but he is the only one to blame for this. His caddy should have known as well.

But no one seems to notice that he did the same thing on an earlier hole. DJ's ball landed on an island of weed-grass surrounded by sand. He asked a rules official if he could take a practice swing through the grass part, and was granted approval, which he did. He hit his ball out while his feet were in sand.

Not a violation of the rules. The ball must be in the sand, not your feet.

First rule of plying tournament golf is to understand local rules.
In a tournament in my area on my course the designated an area behind the green on number 5 as a sand bunker. I watched over ten pros go into it and play it correctly. This guy needs to brush up on preparation and course management. He also needs to give his caddy a talking to. According to the real article these bunkers are a main part of this course and there are close to 1000 of them on it.

Well stated, after a close look, the PGA was correct: Dustin went out there playing like a guy out with the boys on a Saturday. He should have taken his time, asked the crowd to move away from the playing area so that he could assess his circumstances. Instead, he "hot dogged" it shooting with everyone standing around. Worse, he said he hadn't read the rules sheet that was given to hime. The saving grace in all of this, thankfully, is how Dustin himself handled it. He was very gracious about the decision. I am very glad about this because I think we will see alot more of this young man and I bet next time, he takes his time and that he reads the handouts the tour representatives give him as he comes into a tournament. He is on the big stage now and there are big stage expectations.

Those that have mentioned his caddy are correct also. His caddy should have read the rule sheet and been there to advise Dustin about the bunker circumstance. His caddy will learn from this too. This was primarily Dustin's mistake but his caddy should have read the rule sheet as well. A good lesson for both of them. I hope we see more of Dustin and his caddy, they are a good team, still learning, but a very good team. I am proud of how Dustin handled the outcome. He was a gentleman, a key ingredient for the rest of his life.

I agree. It was his mistake to not read the rule sheet. I guess that's part of being young. It's a mistake neither he nor his caddy will probably ever make again. I think his conduct after the ruling was admirable and hope to see more of him.

Not only did his caddy not warn Dustin about the bunker or catch the grounding, but he actually set the golf bag on the ground, in the bunker. This would have gained him a 1 stroke penalty had the 2 stroke grounding penalty not been assessed.

What? YOu like him did not read the rules. BTW the last line of defense you have is your caddy and he apparently did not read the rules either. It would have been unfair to those who played and followed the rules to let this slip by.

Yes, golf is the last refuge of decency in sports, Tiger would definitely have been penalized just like everyone else.

Byron, get over yourself. Really!

Tiger would have asked for a ruling before setting foot in the hazard

Tiger has been allowed to break the rules on at least 3 occassions. Moving the boulder, the kid moving the ball in the PGA that cost Bob May the championship and allowing 10 minutes to find his ball at the NEC.

the boulder being moved was not breaking the rules. let me repeat, it was not a broken rule. maybe you do not know golf, i do not know. it might have been not in the spirit, but you need to clarify your comment there spiffy. did not realize you were tiger's monitor.

That boulder fiasco and it not breaking the rules when moved is total bs...the whole it wasn't an imbedded object is such crap, there was definitely an impression in the ground, and IMHO it was cheating and should've been called. You call Paul Azinger for kicking away a pebble trying to get his feet comfortable as "improving his stance" and he gets a penalty, but Tiger has a 1 ton boulder moved and nada. I know it happened years and years ago, but this is one huge issue of why I'll never be a fan of Mr. Woods.

Tiger has been allowed to break the rules on at least 3 occassions.

Thats a flat ass lie. I have heard the same thing about Phil. In golf for you people who do not know, if you are unsure about a situation you ask for a ruling from the officials. After that its up to them

but this is one huge issue of why I'll never be a fan of Mr. Woods.

LOL and we are supposed to believe that eh

Of course he would have been penalized the same way. That's the way golf enforces the rules. It doesn't matter who you are. He is not above the game or the rules. Get a grip.

No, Tiger would have been given a pass, like the tournament where his ball landed behind a montrous rock. He was allowed to get a crew to move the rock, not a simple procedure, delaying the round by about fifteen minutes. Maybe he isn't getting so much love and compassion now that he's been blasted about the head and shoulder by a little girl. :-D

check the rules; they allowed the "monstrous rock" to be moved. And these guys know the rules; they use them to their advantage whenever they can. all of them do, not just Tiger. and he doesn't get a pass. get real.

BS, lang, the rules are what the PGA says when there is a controversy. Tiger is/was such an impact player, he was given a pass on moving that monstrous rock. But now that it has been ruled ok to move a rock for Tiger, maybe the rest of the players could bring a backhoe to clear all obstructions. Afterall, Tiger did it!

Tiger would have spent at least 15 minutes talking to an official before even approaching the trap/waste area.

I totally agree!

any sand was not a bunker, only things that were created by the architect Pete Dye that had sand in them were deemed bunkers

amen

I totally agree . No more pga at that coarse ever CLEAN UP YOUR BUNKERS

They're playing the PGA at Whistling Straits in 2015, and have already stated that the same rules will be in effect.

Coarse? LOL

Here is the part of the pass out on rules for this course.

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 form these conditions.

Note 1: The sand area in front, left and behind No. 5 green in the later water hazard is NOT a bunker (do not move stones).

Note 2: Where necessary, blue dots define the margin of a bunker.

The man was stupid for not knowing where he was or if he was not sure asking for a ruling and his caddy was equally as stupid. Case closed.

Do you honestly believe that a patch of sand with green grass under the ball constitutes an area "designed and built" as a sand bunker?

I hope the powers that be will reconsider their decision to play the 2015 Ryder Cup at this Pete Dye monstrosity!

Sorry dude...He made the required amount of strokes to make it into the playoff. He should have been there. I don't care how many flyers were up in the locker room. The PGA official was RIGHT THERE...any tournament that allows the gallery to stand IN the bunker is a piece of garbage and shouldn't be a major. The PGA blew this one so hard, it's just sickening. How in the world, WITH PEOPLE STANDING RIGHT BESIDE YOU IN THE DIRT/SAND, are you supposed to realize it's a bunker? Piss poor decision all the way around from the PGA, which is why it's a very distant 4th in the "Major" category.

Yeah, but he still would have been in a playoff without the ruling, you simpleton!!!

He made the required amount of strokes to make it into the playoff.

Nope not after his penalty which he deserved.

Think about all the golfers who did not ground their clubs in these hazards!! Grounding your club as opposed to not grounding your club is a big advantage.

I think Whistling Straits is a crappy golf course. It doesn't test the mettle of any good golfer and it has far too many bunkers. It's as if, ten people designed it and all were trying to outdo each other by creating as many bunkers as they could. It's the most senseless course I've ever played.

The terrain and area surrounding the course are drop dead gorgeous! The course itself I would not give a nickel to play. I agree that Pete Dye thinks all you have to do to design a golf course is plug in 1000+ bunkers and you have a "course that tests a players mettle". The only way this course plays difficult for the professionals is when the wind blows. No wind--no test!!! A golf course should be a test no matter what the prevailing weather conditions are at all times. I hope the PGA does not return to Whistling Straits for a very LONG TIME!!!

The PGA should make a rule that all hazards are clearly marked and avoid this situation in the future. My only concern for accepting what they ruled is the other golfer who followed the rules. I am also not a big Dye course person. I like natural terrain courses better.

Maybe the other golfers just were not observed violating the rules. That was a very poorly maintained ?bunker?, at the least. Aren't there any rules as to maintenance of bunkers?

Read the rules and you will retract that

In an interview on Golf Channel following this decision, the Chair of the PGA Rules Committee said that the correct interpretation of the written 'local rule' is that all sandy areas on the premises are to be considered bunkers. Literally, then, a sand filled divot in the middle of a fairway would be considered a bunker.

Next up in the ridiculous ruling department at Whistling Strait will be the 2015 Ryder Cup.

I am sure the headsup didn't include a warning that bunkers were indistinguishable from fairway roughs.

I totally agree with those who think it was wrong to penalize Dustin Johnson at Whistling Straits. The golf course is far too lax in letting people trample over the course and to mar a so called bunker to badly that it's unrecognizable. The official tending this hole should have warned the spectators to MOVE away before the shot was made. He was not doing his job. AND, it's not like Dustin had won the tournament at this time, he was merely going into extra holes. No harm would have been done to let him finish the match---chances are he may have lost anyhow but at least he would have lost with dignity. I hope anyone who loves golf steers away from Whistling Straits because of it's incompetent officials. If any bare spot is considered a bunker, then review the entire tournament and see how many others grounded their clubs. ( Were the divots considered bunkers also? ( There was something in the rules explanation about bunkers being of various shapes and sizes. ) Also, one of the CBS reporters walked down to the site and varified in his opinion that this was merely trampled ground. This young man has been dealt a great injustice. My respect for golf and PGA rules has hit rock bottom. You rate right up there with Obama , Peloshi, and the rest of the one sided dictators in the U.S. Dustin you have my sincere apologies for the way you were treated.

I just knew one of those far leaning right wing nuts or far leaning left wing nuts would force politics into this one way or another.

I don't agree with allowing a penalty to come someone seeing something on television. If a rules official had seen it otherwise then I agree it should have been called but not otherwise.

Well said. What other sport allows a penalty to be called by someone watching on a monitor somewhere, someone not tasked to call penalties? In 1987 a viewer called PGA officials and said he saw Craig Stadler commit an infraction the previous day on the telecast. Officials reviewed the tape and DQ'd Stadler for signing an incorrect scorecard. In 1991 a similar incident involved Paul Azinger: a viewer call PGA officials either after a round or the next day, and after review, he was DQ'd from that tournament for the same reason. In 1992 it almost happened to him again, but he was informed of the call and penalty before he finished is round - like Dustin Johnson - and he signed a correct scorecard with the penalty included.

That is absolutely ridiculous. How is it that the PGA allows television viewers to become rules officials? I agree that penalties should be assessed where due, but if the player doesn't call it on himself - and plenty of them do - and his playing partners don't call it, and the accompanying rules officials don't call it, then it shouldn't be called. Having Big Brother monitor your every shot for possible rules infractions is ridiculous, especially since not every shot by every golfer is captured by cameras. That means that only a select group will be monitored, although that group will change periodically. It's nonsense. Let the players police themselves. Even the idea of assigning a rules official to every group is ridiculous. Bad enough officials watching on TV monitors can make calls, but letting viewers call in from home? That's just plain stupid.

If you are not sure if its a bunker or standing water or whatever you have the right to ask for a PGA official and a ruling. Now this damn tournament was a major. It was worth in prize money 7,5 million dollars and people are defending a person who failed to read the rules they gave him when he entered.I reading the comments most of them are clueless people who have no clue as to how golf works. A few and I commend them take the time to ask before saying anything. I have been involved with many tournaments over the years and have worked as an official in tournaments at my club and there is absolutely nothing wrong with this ruling.

This course is famous for these bunkers......

"As soon as you drive through the gates, there's bunkers staring you in the face," says last-week's Bridgestone Invitational winner, Hunter Mahan. And no, he's not exaggerating. The bag drop at Whistling Straits is more heavily bunkered than the greens at Augusta National.

And he did not know how to play out of them?

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.

Cmon

When a sport allows a TV viewer to determine the outcome of a competition, you no longer have a valid point. When all player are not being followed by a camera crew on every swing, it is no longer fair or equal. If it is not called by the actual officials on the course, it should not be called by someone watching at home. Would you, or any reasonable sports fan, allow someone watching at home to call into a Super Bowl and say they noticed a holding penalty three plays previous? Would we accept that after three plays have been run that a 15-yard penalty be assessed? We would all say this is ridiculous. But during this PGA Championship, that is exactly what happened.

Cmon!

I do not question the ruling. I question the circumstances. As a tournament official, how many times has a TV viewer determined the outcome?

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

If, prior to striking your ball in a hazard, the bottom of your club touches any part of the hazard you have "grounded the club".

your club cannot touch the ground behind or beside the ball before your swing while in a hazard. If you watch golfers play out of a sand trap they will never let their club head rest behind or beside the ball before swinging. After or duing the swing you are allowed to nuke the ground behind, beside or in front of the ball Johnson grounded his club (it would appear) 3 times before swinging and all golfers were appropriately warned of this with flyers in the locker room before the tourny started.

NC, I totally agree. In baseball, before every game, the managers and umpires go over the "ground rules" for that venue. Any respectable golf course has a map that defines what the official hazards are. I would have expected the USGA and PGA would verify the official course layout before before any tournament. The fact that they allowed the crowds to stand in the supposed hazard would confuse anyone.

I watched earlier in the tournament when Tiger hit a shot from nearly that same location. Did they go back and look to see if he, or anyone else, grounded a club in this "hazard"?

I agree. Bad job with the local rule. It shouldn't be that hard to determine what is and what is not a bunker. The local rule seems like a lame way of not bothering to properly define hazard bunkers and wast bunkers, which are not hazards and not subject to the same rules. And letting the crowd trample all through hazard bunkers is ridiculous.

But if Johnson and the rules officials had bothered to move the crowd away more than 2 - 3 feet from the ball, they would probably have recognized that it was a bunker. Bad job there, by both Johnson and PGA officials. And the first thing I noticed when I saw where the ball ended up was the big mound in front of the ball that he would have to get over quickly. It may have been trampled, but it should have been a clue. Lot a blame to go around here, but they really had no choice but to call the penalty.

And for all of you who think that other penalties should have been called, you may be right. But claiming that as justification for not calling a penalty is like claiming you shouldn't get a speeding ticket that you deserve because all of the other speeders didn't get one. Doesn't work that way.

Grounding a club is a distinct advantage over a person who does not ground it. Thats why they have the rule pal.

Bah. I can play the entire course without grounding my club if I wanted to. It's no advantage. The rule is in place to keep people from improving their lies.

Bruce.............Duh!!!!!!!!

Then they would have been DQ'd as well. And Bubba Watson was playing for a Ryder Cup spot.

I agree they should have told the PGA to let him play or stick it

This ruling was so bad, I didn't bother to watch the playoff afterwards either. I also would have loved it if the other two players had refused to participate in the playoff.

Then neither of you would make it in professional golf. These guys were playing for a MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP, something that very few of them ever have a chance of seeing in their entire careers.

Not to mention in the case of Bubba Watson, a Ryder Cup spot was in play (he was 18th on the list coming in, and by Sunday had played his way onto the squad). And for Kaymer, it may have been the difference between sticking on the Tour and having to earn his way back through qualifiers.

They may feel bad for him, but they were also competing against him. And they don't give points or Tour cards for nobility.

Forgetting of course this course is noted for around 1000 of these bunkers and the fact you are playing for a major championship and should know the rules as they gave you a pass out defining these bunkers and you and your caddy were so stupid you did not know where you were playing from and did not ask for a ruling. Now if it were me in this tournament every time I thought there was sand under my ball I would have asked if this was a bunker or mayby had my caddy buy a trap locater from the pro shop for 5 bucks...

Yes it is horribly phrased. But the question was originally something about Dustin being DQ'd from the playoff. And apparently it originally said something like "should dusting have been dq'd from the playoff" in reading the comments of the yeses.

It is impossible for the PGA to err. They make the rules they interpret them and they are the sole judge and jury on what happens. Only question here was this rule a fair rule or not.