USGA regrets ‘distraction’ caused by delaying Dustin Johnson ruling

The USGA said on Monday that the organization regretted the “distraction caused” by its decision to delay ruling on whether Dustin Johnson’s ball moved toward the start of Sunday’s U.S. Open final round at Oakmont.

The association’s kinda, sorta included an apology for the confusion that ensued after officials told Johnson on the 12th tee that he may have incurred the penalty, despite being cleared by a rules authority on the spot of the breach on the fifth green. It remained adamant, however, that the penalty was correct.

“Upon reflection, we regret the distraction caused by our decision to wait until the end of the round to decide on the ruling. It is normal for rulings based on video evidence to await the end of a round, when the matter can be discussed with the player before the score card is returned,” read the statement issued Monday evening.

The USGA’s actions created a confusing finish to the tournament, with players not knowing for certain what the eventual champion’s actual score was until the end of the round. Officials did end up penalizing Johnson for causing his ball to move, with forfeiture of the one shot knocking DJ’s final-round score down to 69 for a four-day total of 4-under 276, but the determination did not affect the end result.

“While our focus on getting the ruling correct was appropriate, we created uncertainty about where players stood on the leader board after we informed Dustin on the 12th tee that his actions on the fifth green might lead to a penalty,” the statement said. “This created unnecessary ambiguity for Dustin and the other players, as well as spectators on-site, and those watching and listening on television and digital channels.”

The USGA, which took heat from several top players (including Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, as well as Jack Nicklaus), wants to hear from you now. Anyone with an opinion may email their outrage to comments@usga.org or phone in complaints to 908-326-1857.