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Welcome to Bushwood

As the grand poobahs of the USGA Rules Committee were trying to hijack the U.S. Open Championship on Sunday I was half expecting an appearance by Judge Smails to add even more comic insult to a bizarre turn of events during the competition.smails

Many golf fans had expected Dustin Johnson to, at some point in the final round, “step on his Johnson” but his step was true while the USGA trampled all over it’s own member in questioning the ruling on the 5th green by the walking rules official and than, on the 12th tee, advising Johnson that he might be subject to a penalty.

There were two mistakes by the rules committee.

First, by intervening in the moving ball incident on the fifth green, they called into question the integrity of Dustin Johnson, his playing partner, Lee Westwood, and the USGA rules official who accompanied this pairing.

spacklerNext, this cabal failed to have the courage of their convictions and did not impose the penalty on Johnson at that point. If you’re going to deduct a stroke from his score do it. But these masters of prevarication instead told Johnson and all other contenders that he might be subject to a penalty but they wouldn’t know this until after some additional post round review! The indecision by the rules committee compounded the error of overruling their own designated on course official.

How can this happen at our National Open, the flagship event of each USGA year?

I don’t know and I bet that no one outside of that arcane USGA Rules and Competition Committee can figure it out either.al c

The Man himself, Jack Nicklaus, on hand for the first time to award the Nicklaus Gold Medal to the Champion was matter of fact in his criticism of the committee . “If you’re going to penalize the player a stroke you need to do it then and not after the round,” he told the assembled media.

To DJ’s credit he made this debacle irrelevant with brilliant play that stretched his on course margin to 4 strokes. When the pinheads on the committee were finished the winning margin was only three strokes. So who cares ?

Every golfer and golf fan should care that the ruling body in the U.S. of A. for all matters golf got it so wrong.

ty webbWe owe a debt to Dustin Johnson, one Cool Hand Luke Good Ole Boy, for salvaging this Open.

What happens now? I suggest the USGA allow it’s membership to vote in a new slate of committee men.

I’m backing Carl Spackler, Ty Webb and Al Czervik.

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