It was an absolutely brutal way to lose a shot at his first major, but that’s on Dustin Johnson and not the PGA of America, tournament officials, the course designer or his caddy. Sure, Whistling Straits has about 1100 more bunkers than it should have and it’s confusing and overly tricked up. But you need to know that going in. It is a major, after all. And you need to know the rules. And there’s no excuse for not knowing them. Especially since they were posted in the locker room and a copy was given to every player.
Photos: Dustin's Final Round At PGA Championship
Photos: 2010 PGA Championship
Sure it’s a bad rule; pretty tough to consider them bunkers when spectators are setting up shop in them, kids are building forts and dogs are running through them. But they are bunkers. Everything on that track is. There are no waste areas. No use complaining about how bad a rule it is after you’ve broken it. Johnson should have known the rule and would have, had he taken 2 minutes to read the rule sheet. I’m not leaving anything to chance in a major; especially on a course that funky. The rule sheet is there for a reason. Read it. And his caddy should have also. Look, the ultimate responsibility is with the player. Johnson has to own that, and he has. But where was his caddy, Bobbie Brown? He has to do more in that situation than just pull a club. And he didn’t. Again, a brutal blow for Johnson, but this one’s on him, and he knows it.
