The United States Golf Association did its very best to ruin the 116th playing of its most important golf championship.
The United States Golf Association embarrassed itself in front of millions on Sunday at storied Oakmont with a moment of buffoonery that will live in golf infamy.
It could have been the U.S.G.A.’s worst moment — ever.
Amazingly, one Dustin Johnson stepped up and saved the U.S.G.A. from itself.
D.J. pulled the U.S.G.A. from a river of controversy it was drowning in as it did its very best to unhinge the final and most important round of the U.S. Open, the tournament Jack Nicklaus calls the “most important to Americans.”
D.J. gave the U.S.G.A. CPR when it was flat-lining, going unconscious on the verge of “death by stupidity.”
D.J. saved the day by blowing away the competition at Oakmont, beating Shane Lowry, Jim Furyk and Scott Piercy by four shots until the U.S.G.A. ruled he only beat them by three.
D.J. saved the day by shooting a dazzling final round 68 at Oakmont to upend Lowry and everyone else who tried to get in his way. He shot 68 until the U.S.G.A. said he didn’t. They say he shot 69.
We beg to differ.
So does Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler.
We have the world on our side.
The U.S.G.A. has a couple of rules buffoons.
No need to remind anyone of the circumstances. We all saw the chaos in the FOX announcing booth when U.S.G.A. guys circled D.J. like some Nazi storm troopers on the 12th tee and hit him with some B.S. about the non-ruling on the fifth green when his ball may have moved, not because of anything he did.
Every group has their own babysitter, er, rules official, who is dispatched with the blessing of the U.S.G.A. to make sure there are no controversies.
Yet there they were, threatening to unravel D.J. and stress him more than he was already being stressed in the final round of a difficult U.S. Open.
It’s not like D.J. doesn’t have immense brain damage from majors past.
He does and yet there he was, standing stoic, shaking off all the B.S.
While everyone around him was falling apart, D.J. stood his ground and played his best golf.
“I think the U.S.G.A. regrets they said anything at all,” said Paul Azinger, who did his best all week to save us from Joe Buck during the Fox broadcast.
The crowd at the trophy ceremony gave the U.S.G.A. the “boos” it deserved.
The fact is the U.S.G.A. is not deserving of Johnson’s gentlemanly demeanor.
He accepted the penalty and was Mr. Nice Guy at the ceremony.
This could have been a real mess.
It could have been very ugly.
We could have wound up with the wrong winner.
Dustin Johnson didn’t let it happen.
He single-handedly saved the U.S.G.A. from its suicide attempt.
4 Comments
beege
Hi Tom,
It was a debacle of major proportions to say the least—I want to say this, of all the guys on tour DJ is probably the best guy for something like this to happen to because of all of the things that preceded this in his career. He simply played golf believing because he did nothing to move the ball that surely the USGA would see it his way. Of course he was wrong on that end but correct on his golf end and that ultimately was the only thing he could do is win by at least 2.
The USGA wants to grow the game—-as Ricky used to say to Lucy “You got lot of splaining to do”
Tom Edrington
Basically, you had the USGA not care that the Chairman of the USGA Rules Committee was there when it happened, addressed the situation and ruled that there would be no penalty. He spoke to both Dustin and playing partner Lee Westwood. It is very important what the playing partner has to say in these situations. They, meaning the USGA, really botched this one up big time. Now the PGA Tour players have no respect for the USGA and you can’t find ANYONE outside the USGA who is taking their side on this, it is basically you, me and EVERYONE else who believes DJ was wronged. Shame on the USGA, MAJOR Shame on the USGA.
frankrosielaw
Well said Tom! How in the hell can the USGA rule that DJ caused the ball to move after speaking to both DJ AND Westwood. Sure they have a right to review the tape, but how can they possibly conclude that DJ caused the ball to move, and change the ruling made by their own Chairman! In baseball and football, a challenge can only be successful if there is clear and convincing evidence that the call was incorrect. There was absolutely no such evidence here. Especially in light of the treacherous Oakmont greens. How many times did we see a ball seemingly come to rest, only to subsequently continue to roll right off the putting surface! I have been watching golf for 50 plus years, and have never seen the USGA get a ruling so completely wrong. This is an embarassment of “Major” proportions! The USGA needs to clarify this rule once and for all and come up with a rule that is both fair and consistent.
Tom Edrington
Even Tiger said, the official on the scene makes the ruling. Pretty simple.