26-year-old Dustin Johnson had a one-stroke lead at the PGA Championship when his tee shot on 18 landed in a sandy patch in the gallery to the right. His next shot on the 500-yard par four hole went well left of the green and the young golfer thought sinking a chipshot would give him the title or he would join Bubba Watson and Martin Kaymer in a playoff by making the subsequent putt. But Johnson was met by a PGA official as he walked off the green and after conversing in the official’s tent for a number of minutes it was announced he had been assessed a two-stroke penalty for grounding his club in a bunker on 18! That changed his final round score from a 71 to a 73 and instead of being in a three-way playoff for the Championship he had to settle for a tie for fifth place.
A far away shot of Johnson’s lie in the gallery at 18.
Dustin Johnson later addressed the penalty saying he wasn’t really aware that he was technically in a bunker at the time he grounded his club:
DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I just thought I was on a piece of dirt that the crowd had trampled down. I never thought I was in a sand trap. It never once crossed my mind that I was in a bunker. Obviously I know the Rules of Golf, and I can’t ground my club in a bunker, but that was just one situation I guess. Maybe I should have looked to the rule sheet a little harder.
So what is this controversial rule that cost Johnson a chance at winning the PGA Championship? It’s Rule 13-4 of the Rules of Golf:
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