On Sunday, Dustin Johnson learned how diabolical the No.18 – “Dyeabolical” hole at Whistling Straits can be. He ended up being knocked out of the playoff at the PGA Championship on Sunday after he was penalized two strokes for grounding his club in a bunker he didn’t even realize existed.
“It never crossed my mind I was in a sand trap,” Johnson said. “I just thought it was a piece of dirt.”
According to written reports, course designer Pete Dye said it was intended to be a waste bunker.
Whistling Straits was designed to mimic an old-style links course. There are more than a thousand bunkers. In fact, one AP story said, “Anytime the grounds crew trims the fescue, another emerges.”
Seems like “diabolical sabatoge,” as Bug Bunny said about gremlins in “Falling Hare.”
Rules Sheet Rules:
They were warned, said Mark Wilson, co-chairman of the PGA of America rules committee.
“We made it the No. 1 item on our local rules sheet, simply to explain that all the bunkers were designed as sand bunkers and could be played that way. That meant areas outside the ropes might contain footprints, heel prints, even tire tracks from golf carts or other vehicles.”
So Johnson is paying the price for not reading. But who had his back? His caddy missed it too. And there were reports that a PGA official that was following Johnson’s group on the course didn’t give him a head’s up either.
Johnson ended up carding a 279 (pocketing $270,833). But the winner, Martin Kaymer took $1,350,000. For his second place effort, Bubba Watson made $810,000.
That, indeed was a costly penalty for not reading.
If you missed it, you can watch the shot here.
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