After back to back controversial U.S. Opens the USGA should probably get down on their collective knees and thank the golf gods. Maybe they could sacrifice a few blue blazers and some neckties while they are at it.
Because when all was said and done they got lucky, very lucky.
Last year at Chambers Bay they withstood criticism about the course and its barely there greens but the exciting finish with Jordan Spieth winning saved the day, except for Dustin Johnson of course.
And this year with a great Oakmont course made a little less torturous from early rains it looked like they were in store for a classic. And then on a slick green at the fifth hole Dustin Johnson’s ball moved, of course it had to be DJ, and the USGA fell into a black hole.
But, DJ came to the rescue. First by winning by more than two strokes and second by not calling out the USGA on the spot. I would venture that many golfers would have handled that horrible situation differently.
And that got me wondering….What if? What if another golfer was screwed like DJ was? Hmmm.
What if it was Jordan Spieth? Of course it wouldn’t have occurred on the fifth green as Spieth is so slow it would have been two holes behind. But I can see Spieth ranting a bit and throwing his arms about and confronting the USGA…”I’m the Golden Child!”
What if it was Adam Scott? Now Scotty is the ultimate gentlemen but let’s remember he had Steve Williams on the bag and 
Stevie protects his man. Williams would have dropped that rules official with a right cross before he could say “One stroke penalty.”
What if it was Phil Mickelson? Well, Phil is well versed in protecting himself lately so I bet he would have had his fifteen lawyers he has on retainer on that green quicker than you can say “relief defendant.”
What if it was Angel Cabrera? El Pato is more bear than duck and he may have taken both USGA officials and broke them in half over his knee.
What if it was Sergio Garcia? El Nino wouldn’t have flew into a rage but rather dropped to his knees with hands raised screaming to the Golf Gods…”Why me, why me, always me!”
What if it was Bubba Watson? Bubba would have blamed his caddie,,,in a second.
What if it was Bryson DeChambeau? Bryson would have dazzled the rules obsessed geeks with physics double talk, “Since you triple cut and rolled the greens and the air is devoid of humidity and the surface of the greens has lost all moisture you have essentially reduced the friction coefficient between the ball and the green to zero, which previously had been thought to be only theoretically possible. But due to your overzealous actions to get said greens to 15 on the Stimpmeter you have disproved one of physics oldest theories. Oh by the way, the coefficient of friction is shown by f = μ F n. In that equation, f is the frictional force, μ is the coefficient of friction, and F n is the normal force. Chew on that boys.”
And finally, what if Tiger Woods had played and it was Tiger? They wouldn’t have even dared.
See how lucky the USGA really was? Dustin Johnson took it on the chin two years straight and saved the USGA so much more embarrassment.
They should give DJ his own room at their museum.
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