Reporting from OAKMONT, Pa. — We’ll never know for sure, will we? We’ll never be certain that the USGA would have risked becoming as unpopular as Congress by sticking Dustin Johnson with a penalty for something that had no effect on the actual competition.
Minutes after Johnson polished off his first major championship Sunday by striping a six-iron to 5 feet on the final hole, the USGA did add a penalty stroke to his total. But Johnson still won by three, finishing at four under par.
“Take that @USGA,” came a tweet from Rory McIlroy.
McIlroy and his fellow PGA Tour stars used Twitter to tee off on the USGA, furthering the perception that the organization is run by heartless, buttoned-down stiffs.
About half hammered the USGA for implying that Johnson had caused his ball to move on the fifth green, given that he did not ground his club behind it. The other half torched the USGA for its decision to inform Johnson during the round that it would review the video before making a ruling.
Luke Donald: “No way DJ gets a penalty. Use some common sense @usga. The greens … are [slopier] than Mount Everest.”
Jordan Spieth: “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?”
McIlroy: “Let the guy play without this crap in his head. Amateur hour from @USGA.”
One more from McIlroy: “If it was me I wouldn’t hit another shot until this farce was rectified.”
And people think sportswriters are critical.
No one outside the USGA believed that Johnson should be docked a shot. Longtime Oakmont member Jim Bulger noted that the baked-out poa annua greens have grass strains that grow at different rates, creating “mini-slopes” that cause balls to oscillate.
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Dustin Johnson, right, gets a congratulatory hug from his caddie and younger brother Austin after making a birdie on the 18th hole Sunday at the U.S. Open.
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Dustin Johnson celebrates with partner Paulina Gretzky and son Tatum after winning the U.S. Open on Sunday at Oakmont Country Club.
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Dustin Johnson hoists the U.S. Open winner’s trophy alongside Jack Nicklaus on Sunday evening at Oakmont Country Club. (Ross Kinnaird / Getty Images)
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Dustin Johnson reacts after saving par at No. 16 on Sunday during the final round of the U.S.Open. (Andrew Redington / Getty Images)
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Shane Lowry reacts after missing a putt on the seventh hole during the final round of the U.S. Open on Sunday.
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Sergio Garcia hits out of the bunker for a birdie on the eighth hole during the final round of the U.S. Open on Sunday.
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Jim Furyk reacts after making a birdie putt on the 17th hole Sunday during the final round of the U.S. Open. Furyk finished with a 66.
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Dustin Johnson plays an approach shot on the third hole Sunday during the final round of the U.S. Open.
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Scott Piercy lines up his putt at No. 17 on Sunday during the final round of the U.S. Open.
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Lee Westwood plays his approach shot on the first hole during the final round of the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club on Sunday.
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Dustin Johnson prepares to putt on the fourth green during the final round of the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club on Sunday. (Ross Kinnaird / Getty Images)
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Branden Grace of South Africa preapres to drive at the first hole during the final round of the U.S. Open on Sunday.
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Lee Westwood walks down the 15th fairway during third round of the U.S. Open on Saturday at Oakmont Country Club.
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Andrew Landry listens to caddie Kevin Ensor as he checks the yardage from a row of bunkers on the third hole Saturday during the third round of the U.S. Open.
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Lee Westwood plays a shot from a bunker at the 11th hole Saturday during the third round of the U.S. Open.
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Shane Lowry reacts after making a birdie at No 7 during the third round of the U.S. Open.
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Dustin Johnson hits his drive at No. 4 during the third round of the U.S. Open on Saturday. (Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
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Louis Oosthuizen, right, is congratulated by Lee Westwood after making a birdie putt at No. 10 during the third round of the U.S. Open.
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Jason Dufner hits a shot from the church pew bunkers on the third hole at Oakmont Country Club during the third round of the U.S. Open.
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Andrew Landry plays a shot on the first hole during the third round of the U.S. Open on Saturday.
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Lee Westwood of England celebrates his eagle on the fifth hole during the third round of the U.S. Open on Saturday.
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Sergio Garcia hits his tee shot at No. 8 during the second round of the U.S. Open on Friday at Oakmont Country Club.
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Fans leave the prepare to leave grandstand seating at Oakmont Country Club after play Friday.
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Justin Thomas hits his approach shot at No. 15 on Friday during the second round of the U.S. Open.
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Dustin Johnson hits an approach shot at the third hole during the second round of the U.S. Open on Friday.
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Dustin Johnson watches his tee shot on the fourth hole during the rain-delayed second round of the U.S. Open on Friday. (Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)
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Fans cheer after Jason Day hits his tee shot at No. 18 on Friday during the continuation of the first round of the U.S. Open.
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Jason Day hits his approach shot at No. 14 during the continuation of the first round of the U.S. Open on Friday at Oakmont Country Club.
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Fans cross the third fairway during a rain delay on Thursday at the U.S. Open. Play was suspended at Oakmont Country Club with only nine golfers completing the first round.
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Fans wait inside during a rain delay Thursday at Oakmont Country Club on the first day of the U.S. Open.
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Andrew Landry follows through on his tee shot at the seventh hole during the first round of the U.S. Open on Thursday.
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Jordan Spieth (white cap) and caddie Michael Greller (standing) prepare to leave the course during a delay at Oakmont Country Club on Thursday.
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Andrew Landry watches his tee shot at the fourth hole during the first round of the U.S. Open on Thursday at Oakmont, Pa. (Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)
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Zach Johnson plays a shot from the Church Pews bunker on the third hole during the first round of the U.S. Open on Thursday.
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Bubba Watson watches his approach shot at No. 9 during the first round of the U.S. Open on Thursday. (David Cannon / Getty Images)
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Amatuer Scottie Schefflertalks with his caddie and sister Callie Scheffler on Thursday during the first round of the U.S. Open.
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Bryson DeChambeau hits out of a bunker on the third hole during the first round of the U.S. Open on Thursday.
(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press) Fans around the 18th green got so worked up that they jeered loudly when Fox host Joe Buck asked Johnson about the incident in the post-tournament interview.
Johnson heard the reaction and smiled, saying he didn’t let the midround speculation bother him.
Very little bothers the ultra-mellow Johnson, who three-putted away last year’s U.S. Open on the 72nd green and eliminated himself from a three-man playoff at the 2010 PGA Championship by grounding his club in what he did not realize was a bunker.
That penalty was justified. This one was not.
tgreenstein@tribune.com
