USGA apologizes for its handling of Dustin Johnson’s U.S. Open ruling

After a day of reflection, the United States Golf Association joined the rest of the golf world in realizing the error of its ways.

The USGA issued a statement late Monday afternoon – i.e. an apology – for the way it handled the assessing of a one-stroke penalty to Dustin Johnson on Sunday in the final round of the U.S. Open.

The Coastal Carolina alumnus managed to claim his first major championship by three strokes despite being assessed the one-stroke penalty at the conclusion of play.

The USGA has Johnson to thank for playing through the organization’s blunder well enough to win by multiple strokes and avoid an embarrassing and full-blown controversy.

The USGA came under fire from players, media and fans alike more for the manner in which it assessed the penalty than for the penalty itself, which was also contested publicly.

Johnson was ultimately assessed a one-stroke penalty because his ball moved on the fifth green after he initially addressed it, and USGA officials determined video evidence showed Johnson’s actions “more likely than not” caused the ball to move. That is the standard the USGA uses in applying Rule 18-2, which deals with a ball at rest that moves.

On the green, Johnson took a couple practice swings, placed his putter on the ground adjacent to the ball, then lifted his putter and hovered it behind the ball, at which time the ball slightly moved on Oakmont Country Club’s slick and undulating greens.

Johnson called for the rules official following the group, explained the happenings, and proceeded to hole the putt after the official told him there would be no penalty based on what he had seen and Johnson’s explanation.

After reviewing the video, USGA officials determined a penalty might be warranted, and with Johnson about to tee off on the 12th hole with a slim lead, Jeff Hall, the USGA’s managing director of rules and competition, approached him, asked him a couple questions, and informed Johnson that officials planned to review the ruling after the round and that he might be penalized a stroke.

Other players in contention were quickly notified of the possible penalty as well. So Johnson and his competitors played much of the back nine uncertain of his score, and therefore uncertain of where they stood in regard to his score.

The USGA had all the information it needed on video to make a decision, and apparently knowing all along it planned to assess a one-stroke penalty, it could have informed Johnson of its decision and allow him and his competitors to play the final holes accordingly.

In its release Monday, the USGA stated: “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 for rulings based on video evidence to await the end of a round, when the matter can be discussed with the player before the score card is returned. While our focus on getting the ruling correct was appropriate, we created uncertainty about where players stood on the leaderboard. … This created unnecessary ambiguity for Dustin and the other players, as well as spectators on-site, and those watching and listening on television and digital channels.”

Johnson’s past failures at major championships included a three-putt from 12 feet on the 72nd hole in last year’s U.S. Open at Chambers Bay that left him a stroke behind Jordan Spieth, and a two-stroke penalty for grounding his club a dirt-patch bunker on the 72nd hole of the 2010 PGA Championship that kept him from a playoff.

The weight of the uncertainty of his score for the final seven holes Sunday could have contributed to another major setback. But Johnson persevered, and Monday the USGA thanked him and the other players “for their professionalism and grace throughout the championship.”

The USGA has vowed to examine its procedures, stating: “We will assess our procedures for handling video review, the timing of such, and our communication with players to make sure that when confronted with such a situation again, we will have a better process.”

If you’d like to weigh in, the USGA has established an email address (comments@usga.org) and phone mailbox (908-326-1857) to receive comments.

Cudone record falls

We were reminded last week just how good of a player and how influential Myrtle Beach legend Carolyn Cudone was.

Cudone had a record that she held for 40 years matched when Dawn Woodard of Greer won her seventh Women’s South Carolina Amateur Championship.

Cudone still holds the record for most consecutive victories in the Women’s S.C. Golf Association event, which has been played since 1949, having won her seven in consecutive years from 1970-76.

Cudone, a founding member of the Myrtle Beach Golf Hall of Fame who died at the age of 90 in 2009 at her home in North Myrtle Beach, won five consecutive U.S. Women’s Senior Amateur Championships from 1968-72 – the longest stretch of consecutive wins in any USGA championship. She also played on one U.S. Curtis Cup team and captained another.

As good as the lifelong amateur was on the course, Cudone’s greatest contribution to the Grand Strand golf market will forever be starting the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Program that she ran for 21 years as a volunteer, until the age of 83.

Holliday a runner-up

Johnson Holliday of Aynor, a rising redshirt junior at USC Aiken, finished second Sunday in the 44th South Carolina Amateur Match Play Championship at Bear Creek Golf Club in Hilton Head Island.

Holliday reached match play after two rounds of stroke-play qualifying, then won four matches in two days to reach the final, in which he was defeated 4 and 2 by rising Furman sophomore Connor Bruns of Duncan.

Holliday was four down through 11 holes before making a birdie on the 13th hole to mount a comeback that would come up short.

On Saturday, Holliday won his quarterfinal match 2 and 1 over Tripp French of Columbia, matching a birdie on the 17th to close out the match, and defeated Parker Dudley of Charleston 2 up in the semifinals.

Local juniors win

Holden Grigg of Myrtle Beach shot a 6-over 76-74–150 to win the boys age 14-15 division by five strokes and record the low overall score in a Hurricane Junior Golf Tour event this past weekend at International Club of Myrtle Beach.

Jackson Cole of Pawleys Island lost in a three-way playoff for the boys age 16-18 title, finishing second to Will Simmons of Charlotte, N.C., with a bogey on the second playoff hole. Cole made five birdies over 36 holes en route to a 155.

Sydney Abruzzino of Myrtle Beach shot a 166 to finish a shot behind girls winner Madison Branum of Lexington, Harry De Grood of Myrtle Beach won the boys 11-13 division with a 167, and Charlie Wike of Murrells Inlet was third in the Boys 14-15 division at 158.

The tournament featured 37 players. Winners in each division receive an exemption into the 2016 Tour Championship from Dec. 3-4. The Hurricane Tour claims to be the largest junior golf tour in the country, hosting 275 events in 32 states this year, and has a few more events in the Myrtle Beach area in 2016.

PGA Tour tickets free

Golf fans have until midnight Saturday to register for free grounds badges to the PGA Tour’s July 7-10 Greenbrier Classic in White Sulpher Springs, W.Va.

Tournament organizers and The Greenbrier owner and CEO Jim Justice announced a few weeks ago that all grounds badges to the tournament would be complimentary, and they say more than 30,000 people have registered online at GreenbrierClassic.com/Tickets so they need to close registration.

After the deadline, Snead Champions Club Badges for $5,000 and seven-day Springhouse Badges for $199 – which include an air conditioned facility and complimentary snacks, non-alcoholic beverages and a four-day lunch buffet – will still be available while supplies last.

Spectators are being asked to bring a non-perishable food item that will be distributed to area food banks.

World Tour adds GolfBoards

International World Tour Golf Links is the third course on the Grand Strand and second course managed by Founders Group International to offer GolfBoards.

The course had eight GolfBoards delivered Friday and some were in use over the weekend and Monday.

A GolfBoard is a fun alternative to a golf cart for individual players. It resembles a hybrid of a skateboard, surfboard and snowboard. Clubs go on the front of the battery-powered, four-wheel drive GolfBoard, which has a stabilizing handlebar and thumb accelerator button. A user steers the board by shifting weight.

FGI introduced GolfBoards to TPC Myrtle Beach in April, and True Blue Golf Club was the first Strand facility to offer them, beginning last November. The TPC and True Blue have four apiece.

World Tour is charging $20 plus tax in addition to its combined green/cart fee to use a GolfBoard.

“I think overall the golf consumer has reacted positively to them,” said FGI director of sales and marketing Steve Mays. “We find the people enjoy using them. They’re fun, easy to use and make a round of golf more fun.”

Mays said the company is open to adding the boards to some of its other 22 area courses.

“They’re doing well at TPC, we’ll see how they do at World Tour and act accordingly,” Mays said. “I think we’re definitely looking at it, but it’s not something we need to move quickly on.”

GolfBoards are yet to make it to the north end of the Strand.

Todd Barlow, GolfBoard’s Coastal Carolinas sales representative, said there are no pending contracts with other Strand courses but other area courses have shown interest.

Barlow said the company has been adding an average of 10 to 15 courses per week across the country over the past month, shipped 48 boards to 13 courses last week, and is two weeks behind on orders.

He said there still hasn’t been a significant injury reported on one yet. “People can step in a hole and break their ankle. People drive golf carts into ponds and trees, but nothing major has happened with a GolfBoard,” Barlow said. “We know it’s going to happen, but it hasn’t yet.”

This story was originally published June 20, 2016 at 8:34 PM with the headline "USGA apologizes for its handling of Dustin Johnson’s U.S. Open ruling."