The USGA owes a big big thank you to Dustin Johnson. It what would have been one of the most embarrassing rulings every made in sport, Dustin Johnson saved the USGA. The USGA had ruled that Johnson “might” suffer a 1 stroke penalty due to his ball moving on the putting surface. Johnson may or may not caused the movement. If he did it would be a 1 shot penalty. The USGA said they would make a determination at the end of the round. Either make a decision or don’t but holding Johnson and the rest of the field in limbo was a huge disservice to those in contention.
The USGA would have been ripped had Johnson lost the tournament or ended up in a playoff. The USGA did assess the penalty,but they are so lucky they avoided a major controversy. A gifted player, but questioned between the ears Dustin Johnson showed unbelievable mental toughness winning by 3 shots. The floodgates could open right up for Johnson now. He’s still only 31, and we could see him win 5 or 6 more majors now in his career. It’s a great victory for a player that had been so close so many times.
- What happened to the Big 3? Jason Day tried to get back in contention and finished T8, but Jordan Spieth ended up T37, and Rory Mcilory missed the cut. I don’t think there’s any panic there. They have all won this year. Johnson is gaining, but these are still the top 3 players in the world. They’ll have great battles in the future.
- Lost in Johnson’s great performance, was 46 year old Jim Furyk with a T2 finish. Furyk is one of the most underrated golfers of the past 20 years. His performance was quietly the 2nd best of the tournament.
- Another chance to win a U.S. Open slips by Phil Mickelson. He’s played well this year, but it hasn’t translated to good play in the majors. Mickelson lost a little off the fastball, but he’s got another couple major runs in him.
- Lee Westwood fired an 80 in the final round. In the top 10 going into the final round, he fell apart. I just don’t think that major will ever come for Westwood.
- Is a major every going to happen for Sergio Garcia? Again he put himself into contention, but slipped late to end up T5. Garcia at 36 is still young enough that he’ll have several have more chances. I’m not ready to give up on him yet. His game seems in good shape, he just needs to overcome the mental part. That’s easier said than done, but he still has time.
- Rickie Fowler? Something is definitely wrong with Mr. Fowler. He hasn’t a top 10 in a major since 2014. He’s only 27, but the pressure is already to starting to mount to win that first major.
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