USGA Issues Statement: Stands By Ruling, Regrets Not Issuing A Penalty Sooner

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Fascinating dynamics in this apology. USGA CEO/Executive Director Mike Davis is schedule to appear on the 6 pm ET Golf Central to elaborate.

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.

Translation: this is as close to a concession that they had decided early on to award Dustin a penalty and should have just done so, since there was nothing he could say that would reverse their decision. Arguably the most troubling element to the entire episode gets more interesting with this apology.

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.

Say, 99.999999% of the population.

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.

The review process is under review!

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.

And we'd love to hear your thoughts on green speeds pushed to mask the lack of distance regulation we've overseen!

Ratings: 2016 U.S. Open Earns Second Lowest Final Round

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The overnights do not include cumulative audience numbers, which would logically seem more important than ratings given the length of Fox's 2016 U.S. Open coverage.

Nonetheless, for now we have overnights to consider from SportsMedia Watch and some analysis on Twitter from SBJ's Austin Karp.

Only Martin Kaymer's 2014 runaway was lower rated than this year's finale (3.8), and Saturday's rain-delay expanded coverage that reverted to FS1 for the last hour earned the worst third round number since ratings have been tracked (1988).

In two years on FOX, the U.S. Open has delivered two of its four lowest final round overnights. Including the record-low of 2014, the past three years join only 1988 as the lowest rated on record in the metered markets.

Saturday’s third round coverage posted a 2.5 overnight on FOX, down 27% from last year, when coverage went later into primetime (3.4), and down a tick from 2014 on NBC (2.6). The 2.5 is the lowest on record for third round coverage, falling below the previous mark set in 2014.

The second round coverage earned the third-lowest for second round coverage, ahead of only 2014 and 2011.

This from SBJ's Karp:

Fox offered this related to Saturday's coverage:

U.S. OPEN SATURDAY RATINGS NOTES: FOX Sports enjoyed an extended broadcast window Saturday, with nine hours of continuous coverage of the 116th U.S. Open Championship on local FOX stations from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM ET. Highlighted by perfect playing conditions and a fluid leaderboard, coverage of the second and third rounds yielded 19.8 gross ratings points over the course of the Saturday network window, a +11% increase over the 2014 U.S. Open (17.9 – nearly eight hours; most recent East Coast U.S. Open). Coverage peaked with a 3.0 rating and 4.4 million viewers from 5:30 – 6:00 PM ET.

And this:

U.S. OPEN SATURDAY RATINGS NOTES CONT': Saturday's U.S. Open coverage began with two bonus hours airing on FS1 from 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM ET, garnering an average of 819,000 viewers, the second most-watched Saturday morning telecast in FS1 history.

I'm torn on whether the ratings news is that bad given what a dark day this might have been. While Fox handled it well and no doubt upset their USGA "partner" that seeks house organ coverage, golf would not have appealed to many casual fans if DJ was cost a U.S. Open by the rules committee.

That said, I still want to see the cumulative audience to see just how bad the number is. And at year's end I'll try to get the cumulatives for the four majors and Olympic golf.

A more detailed review of the highs and lows from the telecast is coming along with links to some other takes. But the Johnson rules situation takes priority for now.

US Open Recap: ShackHouse Episode 11, Golf Digest Podcast

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The blog has been neglected in this time of somewhat mind-boggling U.S. Open antics, but while I read what you and my colleagues are saying--I'd ask you to consider some new podcasts.

Recorded in the Pittsburgh Marriott City Center's excellent restaurant and bar (thanks to the crew for taking care of us and our weird U.S. Open hours with smiles and impressive food) Golf Digest's Ryan Herrington, Joel Beall and yours truly discuss what we saw Sunday at Oakmont. Please subscribe at your preferred podcast provider (iTunes here).

On ShackHouse Episode 11, Joe House and I try to stick to the big picture issues at this U.S. Open win: Dustin Johnson's breakthrough, the USGA's bizarro behavior, some of the big picture ramifications from the Sunday fiaz and the much-improved effort from Fox.

As always, you can subscribe on iTunes and or just refresh your device subscription page.

Same deal with Soundcloud for the show, and Episode 11 is here.

And the ShackHouse Stitcher page.

Special thank you to our sponsor Callaway, makers of Chrome Soft and XR driver, House's new Apex irons, and now offering a common sense Rewards program for loyalists.

Thanks to OdysseyGolf.com for White Hot face putters that have made them the #1 putter in golf and used by U.S. Open runner-up Jim Furyk along with T5 finisher Branden Grace.

Also thanks to this week's sponsors:

Harrys.com ($5 off first order w/code HOUSE for best razors and shave cream going)

New sponsor Ring.com ($50 off the security doorbell that will be cutting short the career of my football-playing FedEx package deliverer. Just use our link)

And finally, the hi-tech, no logo and bargain-priced workout gear from AthletesCollective.com (15% off using code HOUSE, I'm sure you won't be disappointed).

Thanks to all for subscribing, listening, offering your feedback and supporting our advertisers, including Bill Simmons and TheRinger.com, launching Any Given Wednesday on Wednesday, June 22 at 10 pm!

ShackHouse remains the #1 golf podcast on iTunes. Thanks all for your support.

Vote: Do You Feel Dustin Johnson Caused His Ball To Move?

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The tape:

 

 

The simple poll question that we will discuss on Morning Drive at 8:10 am ET:

DDo you feel Dustin Johnson caused his ball to move?
 
pollcode.com free polls

A Few Shane Lowry Reads Before The U.S. Open Final Round

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Before his 3:30 pm ET tee time with Andrew Landry (!), Shane Lowry probably needs some introduction before he attempts to win the U.S. Open at Oakmont.

Here is Doug Ferguson's game story on the conclusion of round three that saw Lowry open up a three stroke lead.

Ryan Herrington on Lowry prior to the restart and how much the stoppage helped the Irishman.

Brian Keogh of the Irish Golf Desk has covered the former Irish Open winner (as an amateur) and covers Lowry's self-called penalty. USGA researchers are trying to determine if it is historic first should Lowry go on to win.

In the morning he banked some crucial karma when he called a penalty shot on himself on his seventh hole, the par-three, 16th and did well just to make bogey and slip back to two over for the day.

“I addressed the ball, and the ball moved back,” he said. “I had to penalise myself. It’s very frustrating in a tournament like that.

“I actually holed a great eight-footer for a bogey on that hole. I think, if I had missed that, it would have been difficult to get back from there.”

Alex Miceli has post-restart quotes from Lowry, who says he would have been happy with four pars.

The pairing with unknown Landry will be interesting, and Rex Hoggard says the blue collar showdown is fitting in Pittsburgh.

Kyle Porter with various notes on Lowry including the records of those with a four-stroke-or-more lead.

Lowry's clutch 18th hole par putt:

 

 

MLB Takes Priority! Fox Sends U.S. Open Coverage Back To FS1

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After an incredibly taxing and downright heroic 11.5 hours straight of bonus-infused coverage on Fox Sports 1 and Fox, the network sent the final 49 minutes of third round coverage back to its less-visible cable channel.

The conflict?

The network's Major League Baseball game of the week pre-game show prior to featuring Cubs-Pirates in much of the country. In the New York market, it was the Mets vs. the lowly Braves.

Given that golf fans are used to majors staying on network TV through the completion of play, the Twitter outrage over the Fox network broadcast of a major championship shifting to a network seen in fewer homes was swift and directed at the USGA.