Dustin Johnson won't be able to illegally ground his club in the same bunker that cost him the 2010 PGA Championship. The 72nd hole bunker at Whistling Straits, which again hosts the PGA next week, won't be in play.
“There’s a big stand over Dustin’s bunker, though,” said Graeme McDowell on Thursday at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. “There’s a big corporate hospitality unit on Dustin’s bunker. So you’re in good shape if you whip it through that fairway.”
On the 72nd hole five years ago, Johnson hit his tee shot some 70 yards right and found his way into a dirt patch. Fans had been standing in it, unaware that it was a bunker and Johnson wasn't clear on the ground's status as a hazard, either. Despite the PGA of America posting signs to tell the players that all patches of dirt and sand should be considered bunkers, Johnson illegally grounded his club. He didn't ask a rules official for advice before playing the shot.
Johnson eventually made what he thought was a bogey that got him into a playoff with Martin Kaymer and Bubba Watson. However, the rules official informed Johnson that he would be penalized two shots for grounding his club in the bunker. He finished in a tie for fifth place, with Kaymer winning his first major title in the three-hole playoff.
Add Comment