Keep Your Head in the Game

Yesterday, Martin Kraymer won the PGA Championship in a playoff. (He was tied with another player at the end of play, so they were subject to a three hole playoff to determine the winner.) Good for Kramer, but his win was overshadowed by the controversial call on Dustin Johnson.

Johnson was ahead by one stroke going into the 18th hole. After hitting a poor first shot, he was stuck in a "bunker" (a.k.a. a sand pit). Yet, this was no ordinary bunker: it was totally out of the way and one that spectators were continuously walking through. While hitting out of the bunker, Johnson let his club rest on the ground, which is against the rules. Upon finishing the hole, which would have led him to a three way playoff scenario, Johnson was informed that he had suffered a two stroke penalty due to grounding his club, and was therefore knocked out of the playoffs.

This decision was met by disgust from the other golfers and fans, but the bottom line is that a rule is a rule. True, this bunker was inconspicuous and there were 1200 bunkers on the course, but Johnson should have known better. He is a professional and knowing the rules is part of his job.

This is just another example of how golf is a mentally strenuous game. Even these basic rules can somehow escape an expert in the middle of play. At the end of a round, a golfer must not only swing on point, but also keep his head in the game. Unfortunately, Johnson was unable to do so - his mental weakness was only exacerbated by his admission that he failed to read the rule book.