A brutal penalty is looming over Dustin Johnson's final round at the US Open, and it could decide the tournament
David Cannon/Getty
Dustin Johnson is currently leading the US Open at Oakmont, but his entire round - and thus the entire championship - hangs in the balance over a controversial moment on the fifth green.
As he stood over the ball to putt for par on hole 5, Johnson's ball moved ever so slightly. It's extremely hard to tell from the video whether or not Johnson's putter caused the ball to move, or whether it simply moved on its own, but if the USGA rules that Johnson did cause the moment, he will receive a one-stroke penalty.
Here's the moment:
Dustin Johnson Ball Movement On 5th Hole https://t.co/iNMAc9ptZm
- CJ Fogler (@cjzero) June 19, 2016
Perhaps most cruelly of all, the USGA told Johnson that they will not rule until after he finishes the round. And so, Johnson is now playing the back-9 at Oakmont on Sunday at the US Open - in contention for his first major championship - with a possible one-stroke penalty looming over him. As if Oakmont wasn't challenging enough on its own.
It also means that someone else in contention, either tied or one stroke behind, could wind up winning or forcing a playoff all thanks to a brutal bit of rules.
Here's Jeff Hall of the USGA explaining on live TV why the USGA made the decision to tell Johnson, but not rule immediately.
"We thought that was the only thing we could do" @USGA's Jeff Hall on notifying DJ about a possible penalty. #USOpenhttps://t.co/9wWSuSq6nA
- FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 19, 2016
Fellow PGA tour players - the ones not in contention here - have taken to Twitter to bash the USGA for its handling of the situation.
@USGA treatment of @DJohnsonPGA absolutely shocking. No way he made the ball move.
- Ernie Els (@TheBig_Easy) June 19, 2016
This is ridiculous... No penalty whatsoever for DJ. Let the guy play without this crap in his head. Amateur hour from @USGA
- Rory McIlroy (@McIlroyRory) June 19, 2016
Don't cheat the children USGA!! Let the kids play!!
- Smylie Kaufman (@SmylieKaufman10) June 19, 2016
Lemme get this straight.. DJ doesn't address it. It's ruled that he didn't cause it to move. Now you tell him he may have? Now? This a joke?
- Jordan Spieth (@JordanSpieth) June 19, 2016
Johnson is currently one stroke ahead, but doesn't know if he's leading or not.
Remember, too, that in 2010 at Whistling Straights, Johnson unintentionally grounded his club in a bunker, which cost him the PGA Championship. Last year, he gifted Jordan Spieth the US Open on the 18th green. If he holds on to win this - and if he wins by more than one stroke, he should be fine - it will be all the more impressive.
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