USGA defends handling of Dustin Johnson ruling at US Open
Tuesday 21 June 2016 06:51, UK
The USGA has defended its handling of the controversial ruling against Dustin Johnson which prompted widespread criticism on a dramatic final day of the US Open.
Johnson's ball rolled a fraction backwards after he had completed his practice putting strokes on the fifth green, and it was determined at the time - with playing-partner Lee Westwood's full agreement - that the American had not addressed the ball before it moved.
After consulting with an official, Johnson replaced his ball and putted out, but the USGA reviewed the incident and then informed him on the 12th tee that he could be liable to a one-shot penalty.
Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Tiger Woods were among the players to hit out at the decision to review the incident after the round, with McIlroy saying on Twitter: "If it was me, I wouldn't hit another shot until this farce was rectified."
Johnson fired a closing 68 which was later changed to a 69 when the USGA decided to impose the penalty, although it did not affect the outcome as he remained three shots clear of the field at Oakmont Country Club.
USGA managing director of rules and competition, Jeff Hall, said afterwards: "We were concerned about what we saw and felt obligated to have a conversation with Dustin about it, and the 12th tee presented the best opportunity to do that.
"We told him that what we saw was a concern, but we also asked him a couple of questions; effectively was there something else that could have caused the ball to move? As we had that discussion, it became very apparent that we weren't going to get to a resolution there.
"We just wanted him to realise that we were concerned so that he could strategically make decisions that he needed to make for the balance of the round. It was clear we needed a further conversation, and the 12th tee did not seem to be the right place for that.
"Every situation has its own unique circumstances and we feel pretty comfortable with the process that we had to resolve this one. We did notify the other players before Dustin finished the 12th hole. We verbally advised each player what could happen so they had the same benefit as Dustin did.
"I think every situation is unique and you've got to review the facts and do the best you can. It's a tough situation, we did the best that we could and we feel pretty comfortable with the process that we had in place."
Hall also defended the decision to impose the penalty, despite it appearing harsh on Johnson.
"There's going to be doubt in these situations, but on balance, based on the evidence that we saw, we are comfortable that a one-stroke penalty was to be incurred," he added.
"With the rules of golf, it's about getting it right and there are times when a decision has to be made and some will agree with it, and some will not. We had evidence that we had to act on. If you don't act on evidence that you have, I think it could be detrimental to the game. I really do."
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