Dustin Johnson’s quest for his first Major Championship is over. Combining the power and accuracy of his drives with a clutch short game, Dustin was able to tame the difficult Oakmont Country Club to win the 2016 US Open Championship. Last year, Dustin suffered the infamous heartbreak of 3-putting the 72nd green to lose the 2015 US Open at Chambers Bay by one stroke. It was true redemption for DJ this year in Pennsylvania but of course as luck would have it, it was not without its drama.
On the 5th hole of the final round, Johnson’s ball moved backwards on the putting surface after a few practice strokes. He did not ground his putter or fully address the ball. There was no way that his actions could have caused his golf ball to move, which was agreed by his playing partner Lee Westwood and the rules official following the group.
However, when the group got to the 12th tee, Johnson was informed that he may or may not be penalized one stroke for the ball moving on the 5th green. The mental stress added to a player could have been catastrophic at that point of the tournament, not just for the player in question, but for the rest of the players still on the course. Not knowing where you stand during one of the biggest Championships of the year is just a ridiculous situation. Johnson played some of the best golf of his life and hit clutch shots though, especially on the 72nd hole, to ensure his victory. He finished the tournament at 4-under par (really, 5-under par) for a three stroke (but really, four) victory.
This rules farce by the USGA was laughable. Many professionals (Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Luke Donald, Tiger Woods) added their input to the situation and roasted the USGA for their handling of the situation and ultimate decision to penalize Johnson one stroke. Brandel Chamblee of Golf Channel was clearly angry during the post-tournament interviews with the USGA rules officials as well – it looked like he was having difficulty holding back his frustrations on air. You’ll find some great snippets via our Twitter account. By reversing the original decision that was agreed upon by the rules official following the group and his playing partner, the USGA basically called Johnson a liar and a cheater.
Luckily for the USGA, the “penalty” did not affect the outcome of the tournament – or it would have just been another case of heartbreak and close calls to the career of Dustin Johnson at Major Championships. Instead, we can end this story with a congratulations to Dustin Johnson and a feeling that we’re going to see him win a few more Major Championships over the next couple of years. And perhaps the quote of the night:
I asked DJ after presser what Westy said to him on 12–that was repeatable: "Probably not…at the end of the day it didn't fucking matter."
— Stephanie Wei (@StephanieWei) June 20, 2016
