Joy of Golf: Oakmont doesn’t pay the penalty for error

Joy Chakravarty 08:26 23/06/2016
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  • Winner: Dustin Johnson.

    There was a lot of anticipation regarding the second major of the season, mostly because of the quality of host venue Oakmont Country Club, and the US Open this year lived up to the expectations.

    Yet, it could easily have become the most ridiculed tournament in the history of the sport.

    Had Dustin Johnson finished either one shot ahead of the group in tied second place, or tied for the lead, the contentious one-shot penalty he was handed at the end of his round would have haunted the USGA forever so they were fortunate.

    As is the case after every major championship, we hand out our report card this week on the performance of those associated with the tournament…

    Dustin Johnson (10/10):

    You can’t fault Johnson’s performance at Oakmont. Given his track record of collapsing in the majors, everyone was expecting him to blow up once again on Sunday.

    On top of that, there was the unwanted pressure of the USGA officials approaching him on the 12th hole – just when he had taken the lead – to tell him that the incident of the moving ball on the fifth hole was under review.

    For Johnson to play as well as he did despite all the distraction, showed he is not as mentally frail as people think him to be. I would have thought this would have been a good time to clear the one blot on his career – the leave of absence he took for almost six months just before the 2014 Ryder Cup, which led to all kinds of speculations. But he did not address that.

    However, there is no denying that golf is blessed to have someone so supremely athletic. The way he handled the demanding Oakmont proves Johnson has the game to become one of the greats.

    USGA (1/10):

    I thought last year’s Chambers Bay horror show was their all time low until the final round issues with Johnson and the ruling fiasco.

    This is what happened: Johnson had not addressed the ball on the fifth green, and as he finished his practice putt, he saw the ball move slightly backwards. The new rules say if the ball moves before a player addresses his putter, there will be no penalty.

    Johnson checked with his playing partner, Lee Westwood, who was standing right there and saw the entire thing, and clarified with the rule official assigned to the group. Both said he was fine and could go ahead.

    I have two issues with the USGA because of what happened. One, they should not have confronted Johnson mid-way through the round. Back nines of a major are tough as it is. More importantly, in a sport that takes so much pride in the fact that it is mostly self-governed, USGA made Johnson, Westwood and the rules official look like cheats.

    Jim Furyk (9/10):

    What a golfer! Out for more than six months with a wrist injury, Furyk was struggling after making a comeback, missing two of his first four starts. But back at the US Open, he was a different man.

    It was the solid Furyk we are used to as he fought his way to tied second place at one-under par.

    Shane Lowry (8.5/10):

    For 63 holes, he was the best player in the field, but the Irishman will rue the missed opportunity. It is not easy to blow up a four-shot lead in the final round of a major. But let’s give him the benefit of doubt – it was the first time he was in contention in a major and it is not easy to handle that sort of pressure.

    Sergio Garcia (8/10):

    The Spaniard has never won a major in his career, and he came close once again. He was in contention before reeling three bogeys in three holes late in the final round to finish tied fifth. I would have given him seven, but one extra point for being humane and saving the baby bird after making his birdie on the eighth hole.

    Andrew Landry (8/10):

    The young journeyman did not have the best of final rounds and finished with a round of 78 to tie for the 15th place. But the world No. 624 was impressive as he mixed with the big boys and went out in the leadergroup on the final day. This should boost his coincidence on the Tour.

    Jason Day (7/10):

    The world No. 1 made a horrific start to his campaign at Oakmont, slumping to a six-over par 76 in the opening round. But he played like a champion thereafter, and if not for a late double bogey-bogey finish, he would have finished tied second.

    Bryson DeChambeau (7/10):

    The only false move he made during the whole week was burning a hole through his T-shirt while ironing it on Sunday. Make no mistake, this is one shining star we need to keep an eye on. He got into the Open through the qualifiers, and then finished tied 15th and five-over despite a terrible final round.

    Jordan Spieth (5/10):

    It really wasn’t the Jordan Spieth we are used to. By his standard, it was a terrible title defence as he finished tied 37th. Except for the third round, when he managed to get his putter hot, the world No2 was very average in all aspects of the game.

    Rory McIlroy (3/10):

    A last-hole double bogey in the second round meant he missed the cut by two shots – his first missed cut in a major in three years. McIlroy came into the tournament in decent form, and his high iron shots would have suited Oakmont, but except for a superb front nine in the second round – where he was four-under par – it was a disappointing outing for the world No. 4.

    Phil Mickelson (3/10):

    He missed the cut for the second straight time in Oakmont, and the chances of a career grand slam has receded some more. He will be 47 next year at Erin Hills, and the oldest US Open champion, Hale Irwin in 1990, was 45 years and 15 days. He will now have to beat the field, as well as history.

    Rickie Fowler (2/10):

    Easily going through the worst form of his career. The world No6 has now missed three cuts in a row since finishing fourth at Wells Fargo.

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