A controversy that could have been avoided at the PGA

This year’s PGA Championship had more twists and turns than a Tom Clancy spy novel.  We had the tournament leader bomb out with an 81 in the final round, a former champion with a chance to become the second oldest player to ever win a major.  Dustin Johnson lost a shot at a playoff with a penalty on the final hole and a guy named Bubba saw his chances to win a major disappear in a creek on the final playoff hole.

In a scene that will be remembered for a long time to come.  Johnson, who collapsed the way Nick Whatney did at Whistling Straits back in June in the final round of the U.S. Open saw a stellar final round spoiled by a 2 stroke penalty for grounding his club in one of the thousand plus bunkers on the course after a wayward drive on 18.  He said he didn’t even realized he was in a bunker.  Easy to believe considering the fans were standing in it.  The problem for Johnson was the players were warned before the tourney began that everything that was sand was a hazard.  He was hitting out of sand.  It was a painful mistake.

Almost forgotten was the steady and spectacular clutch play from eventual champion Martin Kaymer of Germany.  The 25 year old drilled a 15 foot par putt on 18 to get into the playoff with Bubba Watson and then hit another clutch 15 foot birdie on 17 to tie Watson and set up the climatic final playoff hole.  

The tournament continued the surge of young players dominating the tour.  Kaymer, Watson, and Johnson are just the tip of the iceberg.  21 year old Rory McIlroy had a birdie chance at 18 to be a part of the playoff as well.  Youth has been served.

But getting back to the penalty.  While the letter of the law was followed and Johnson suffered the penalty, should it have come to that?  Should spectators have been allowed to walk through and stand in the bunkers?  Shouldn’t the official who was standing there with Johnson have made sure he knew his ball was in a hazard considering the crowd was packed around them?  Not remind him of the rules, just let him know the facts he was in a hazard?  If that had happened there may not have been the controversy that followed.