USGA regrets ‘distraction’ caused by delayed ruling

Or an early fold at Pebble Beach.

Spieth added: “Let me get this straight”.

The American had to play his final seven holes, without knowing what penalty (if any) he would face. Not even the demons of majors past.

The USGA issued a statement Monday regarding its decision to wait until the end of the final round of Sunday’s US Open Championship to issue a ruling penalizing Dustin Johnson.

“It feels good. Feels really good”.

Left in the wake of Johnson’s performance was Lowry, who crawled home with a 76 after completing a third-round 65 in the morning. Sandy Tatum, a former USGA president, once famously said the U.S. Open was not set up to embarrass the best players, but to identify them.

Johnson is the U.S. Open champion. He and Tiger Woods finished a shot behind victor Angel Cabrera in 2007. I made too many errors and could have managed the course better because strategy is very important at a course like Oakmont. “I’ve knocked on the door several times”. For me to finally get it done on Sunday in a major, it’s a huge monkey off my back.

” I’m different. I’ve grown up a lot”.

Johnson, who earned $1.8 million for the victory, now has won at least one PGA Tour event every year for the past nine years, the longest active streak on tour.

Watch the behind the scenes action from the US Open by clicking on the link above. As he was preparing to ground his putter behind the ball, the ball seemed to move backward.

Johnson had a short par putt on the fifth hole, took a few practice strokes and as he placed the putter behind the ball, it moved slightly – backward.

Dustin Johnson talks to a rules official after his ball moved on the fifth green. So for it to not affect the outcome is fantastic. I got a penalty but it didn’t matter at the end of the day. And when you have a situation where the official was there and said, ‘Did you cause it to move?’ and he says, ‘No, ‘ then that should be the end of the story. After studying the video and consulting with Thomas Pagel, USGA senior director of Rules of Golf and Amateur Status, the two met Johnson on the 12th tee, where Johnson arrived with a one-stroke lead.

“We accept that not everyone will agree that Dustin caused his ball to move”.

For McIlroy – who missed the cut in Pennsylvania – it is the first time he has been out of the top three since July 2014. Fortunately for all concerned, he had already rendered the controversy mostly moot by playing so well down the stretch, including a birdie on 18, that he walked off with a four-shot lead.

The lingering question was whether this U.S. Open was tougher than it needed to be.

“Bro”, he said with a smile, “don’t even go there”. “It was there for the taking and I didn’t take it”.

Personally, Oakmont was a big learning, as all Majors are. This wasn’t as bad.

The 31-year-old had seen his ball move fractionally as he lined up a putt, but called in the referee walking with his group and was initially cleared of any wrongdoing before holing out for par.

However, Johnson showed no tension and ended at five-under, which after the tournament ended was made four-under with a penalty. I’m sure I will learn from it. “I like to know where I’m at on the leaderboard”.