I found myself attracted to a game where the challenge was all internal , plus there was an integrity to the game that wasn ’ t present in the other sports I had played .
from the LGA on the USGA
by LGA Executive Director Carr McCalla
By now , almost everyone has weighed in with their perspective on the Dustin Johnson ruling at the U . S . Open . Tour players and TV commentators alike have been quick to ostracize the USGA with comments like “ bush league ,” and “ amateur hour .”
I ’ ve seen and / or heard a number of opinions about how the USGA got this one wrong ... and while I certainly respect others ’ opinions , I ’ d like to share mine as well . And my opinion is that the USGA , in point of fact , got it right .
Prior to the Championship ’ s start , rules officials were instructed that , if a ball moved and it was not clear whether or not the player caused the ball to move , the official was to gather all of the facts that were available to him or her , make their best judgment as to the facts , and apply the rules accordingly . If subsequent video evidence revealed additional information regarding the circumstance that could lead to a different conclusion , that information would be communicated as expeditiously as possible .
And that is exactly how the situation with Dustin on the fifth green played itself out . Once Dustin recognized that his ball had moved , he called over the rules official assigned to his group and the official , after reviewing all of the facts available to him , made the determination that the ball should be played from its new position with no penalty .
Video review of the incident , however , revealed that the sequence of events just prior to the ball moving made it more likely than not that Dustin had caused his ball to move ( See Rules of Golf Decision 18-2 / 0.5 for guidance relative to making this determination and Decision 34- 3 / 7 for how to proceed when additional evidence causes the Committee to overrule an official ’ s decision ).
The USGA , in a statement released Monday ( see below for the USGA ’ s statement ), took full responsibility for the ambiguity caused by waiting until Johnson finished his round to make a final ruling on whether he would be assessed a penalty stroke . I applaud the USGA for its commitment to ‘ get it right ’ and for its willingness to review its policies moving forward . That said , I ’ m still not
I found myself attracted to a game where the challenge was all internal , plus there was an integrity to the game that wasn ’ t present in the other sports I had played .
convinced the USGA will find its policies for circumstances such as this can be improved upon . I hate to play ‘ what if ’ games but allow me to contemplate ... What if ... the USGA had told Dustin on the 12th tee that he was being assessed a one stroke penalty and , in fairness to all , had distributed that information to the rest of the field ... without giving Dustin the opportunity to review the video and discuss the circumstances surrounding the incident ... and What if ... when discussing the issue in the scoring area before signing his scorecard additional information was brought to light by Dustin that caused the Committee to then rescind the penalty .
If you think the competitors were upset with the USGA on Sunday , imagine what their comments might be in a circumstance such as that .
Perhaps this controversy gives us the opportunity to reflect on what this game reveals about its character ... and about ours as well .
We should congratulate Dustin Johnson on a wonderful week of golf , but even more important than that , thank him for reminding us that the true champion is the one who can focus on the task at hand and perform under difficult circumstances . Golf , after all , is a game where the best players are the ones who don ’ t make excuses , take advantage of the good breaks that present themselves and persevere through the bad ones .
Thanks Dustin , for providing us with a Champion and a performance we can be proud of , and thanks USGA , for another memorable Championship .
Carr McCalla is the Executive Director of the Louisiana Golf Association and served as a Rules Official at the 2016 U . S . Open .
USGA Statement :
The USGA wishes to congratulate Dustin Johnson on his victory and thank him , and the other players in the field , for their professionalism and grace throughout the championship . Dustin is a wonderful champion , a talented golfer and a gentleman .
Our team at the USGA has seen and heard a great deal of discussion and debate about the ruling on Dustin ’ s ball moving during the final round of the 2016 U . S . Open Championship at Oakmont Country Club . In addition to the explanations we offered upon the conclusion of the final round , we add these comments .
Upon reflection , we regret the distraction caused by our decision to wait until the end of the round to decide on the ruling . It is normal