In case you missed it on Friday, there was a sticky situation in the Kevin Na-Dustin Johnson match at the WGC Match Play Championship.
D.J. missed a birdie putt then raked his ball away before Na could concede the par putt.
There was a long discussion between the two players on the 12th green before heading to the next hole.
After the round, Na told those gathered: “Obviously it’s good, but I hadn’t said anything, and he whacked it.” Na was facing a three-footer of his own for par.
“I called him (D.J.) over and said, ‘Hey, I’m not going to take the hole from you, but I just want to let you know before I said something you whacked the ball,’” Na said. “But I’m going to give that putt to you so we’ll call it a halve and go to the next hole.”
But that wasn’t the whole story. It couldn’t be, because under the rules of match play, a player may not retroactively concede a putt. Players also are not permitted to waive enforcement of a rule.
Both players were absolved of any wrongdoing because Johnson said he thought he heard Na concede the putt, Gary Young, the Tour’s vice president of rules and competitions said on Saturday to clarify the situation.
“They were saved by the fact that Dustin — and I asked him and we had this conversation in front of the rules committee who were all hearing it and Dustin was very honest — he just said I got to be honest that I thought he said, ‘That’s good,’” Young said.
To which we say D.J. should be more careful. It was obvious he took Na for granted, figuring he’d notch an easy win and have a shot at the final 16.
That wasn’t the case. A birdie-birdie finish by Na won the match for the little guy and in the big scheme of things, it didn’t matter as neither player advanced.
Now both an enjoy an afternoon in The Dog House where they will be given a short primer on the rules of match play golf.
4 Comments
baxter cepeda
I guess Na deserves the dog house for making up rules. But DJ must have his own wing at this point.
This match really gets me thinking how different top tour golf would be if golf was mostly match play and mostly not on bombers paradises?
Golf was originally supposed to be played match play mostly until some tv suits decided otherwise.
It was also intended to be played in tough wind and danger riddled courses. It the star bombers have lobbied all that away.
At the most basic level stroke play is a good representation of Who’s the biggest kid and can whack a ball around a little better.
But match play tests all those intangibles that make golf the greatest game in the world.
While DJ has had great success in match play he has also struggled as it also asks for a lot of things he isn’t the best at; the kind of things that imo are what makes a great golfer: grittiness, clutch, smarts, etc.
Golf needs less bombers paradises but we really need more match play to identify great clutch golfing.
Anyhow; Na and DJ should hang in DJs wing of the doghouse because the main hall should be crowded with pga tour rules officials. It’s getting kind of ridiculous really; all they seem to care about is ‘clarify the situation’ so they have to do nothing. That’s their big thing is doing nothing.
Like Dj Rules officials should have their own wing as well.
Tom Edrington
I’ve checked with the Dogs, and they concur.
baxter cepeda
When you, me and the dogs all concur, were really on to something….
Tom Edrington
You can trust a dog’s intuition….