COMMUNITY

Well we all know what happen when one submits a "support ticket".

My thoughts exactly. Let us know. Thanks.

Who cares at this point, he finally won one. Funny thing is all the sports radio guys are talking about is his wife, and by the way DJ won the Open.

USGA = "For the good of the game" but not in the case of DJ. The rule needs to be addressed and clarified. This rule effects every tournament golfer and those of us who play in USGA events.

I care...just because DJ won doesn't mean that the error of the USGA should be overlooked. This was a HUGE deal. If the player says he did not effect the ball, and you have no proof otherwise, then they have to rule in favor of the player! It is a game of honesty and integrity and clearly the USGA did not give DJ that benefit. Even DJs playing partner was angry because he saw the exact same thing and sided with DJ.

This is HUGE deal and to be quite frank, I did not think DJ would be able to overcome it. Kudos to him!

Didn't it happen to a handful of golfer over the 4 days?

Terrific. Very well stated. Be interested to see if they reply.

Would be interesting if they did reply, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Nobody puts anything in writing anymore. It always comes back to bite you. Chances are your letter will make it as far as the circular file, and never reach those who made that bad decision.

Well I did not receive a direct response from the USGA from my email I did receive a statement they released yesterday to all USGA members and the press:
USGA STATEMENT REGARDING DUSTIN JOHNSON RULING
The USGA wishes to congratulate Dustin Johnson on his victory and thank him, and the other players in the field, for their professionalism and grace throughout the championship. Dustin is a wonderful champion, a talented golfer and a gentleman.

Our team at the USGA has seen and heard a great deal of discussion and debate about the ruling on Dustin's ball moving during the final round of the 2016 U.S. Open Championship at Oakmont Country Club. In addition to the explanations we offered upon the conclusion of the final round, we add these comments.

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. 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. 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.

During any competition, the priority for Rules officials is to make the correct ruling for the protection of the player(s) involved and the entire field. In applying Rule 18-2, which deals with a ball at rest that moves, officials consider all the relevant evidence - including the player's actions, the time between those actions and the movement of the ball, the lie of the ball, and course and weather conditions. If that evidence, considered together, shows that it is more likely than not that the player's actions caused the ball to move, the player incurs a one-stroke penalty. Officials use this "more likely than not" standard because it is not always apparent what caused the ball to move. Such situations require a review of the evidence, with Decision 18-2/0.5 providing guidance on how the evidence should be weighed.

Our officials reviewed the video of Dustin on the fifth green and determined that based on the weight of the evidence, it was more likely than not that Dustin caused his ball to move. Dustin's putter contacted the ground at the side of the ball, and almost immediately after, the ball moved

We accept that not everyone will agree that Dustin caused his ball to move. Issues under Rule 18-2 often require a judgment where there is some uncertainty, and this was one of those instances. We also understand that some people may disagree with Rule 18-2 itself. While we respect the viewpoints of those who disagree, our Committee made a careful and collective judgment in its pursuit of a fair competition played under the Rules of Golf.

In keeping with our commitment to excellence in all aspects of our work on behalf of the game of golf, we pledge to closely examine our procedures in this matter. We will assess our procedures for handling video review, the timing of such, and our communication with players to make sure that when confronted with such a situation again, we will have a better process.

We at the USGA deeply appreciate the support of players, fans, and the entire golf community of our championships and our other work for golf - and we appreciate your feedback as well. We have established an email address (comments@usga.org) and phone mailbox (908-326-1857) to receive comments. We thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts.

We all share an abiding love of this great game. Let us continue to work together for its good

Hahahaha classic. I love it. Exactly.

Apology for the way the entire situation was handled,but not one person from USGA has or will acknowledge the fact that possibly,just possibly the penalty call was WRONG! Talk about stubborn jerks! Just admit the call,the wait time and just the entire situation was wrong,you blew it big time and just man-up to the whole fiasco- or dig in your heels,and continue to say the call was correct,the handling of it was not-

Well I finally received a reply from the USGA and here it is:

Thank you for sharing your feedback and point of view with us. We genuinely appreciate you taking the time to do so. We would like to take this opportunity to offer insights at this link (http://www.usga.org/articles/2..)
that address many of the most common questions we have received about our ruling and the decision-making process. Further, in keeping with our commitment to excellence in all aspects of our work in support of the game of golf, please know that we are also closely examining those processes as we go forward.

All of us at the USGA remain deeply committed to preserving your trust and support. Again, we appreciate you sharing your perspectives with us. Thank you for your ongoing passion and commitment to the great game of golf.

I'd bet anything over 100,000 people got the same response word for word.

Listen I know your pain.

It's very simple. when they asked Dustin how diet he ball moved and he could not answer how it moved. then the penalty was assessed because he addressed it by taking his putting stance and also grounding the club on the side of the ball. If Dustin could have given them a plausible answer such as you stated with the grass etc and then he may have not been penalized

NO answer to the question PENALTY