The PGA Championship turned out to be as exciting a finish as we've had at a Major all year. Phil was special down the stretch at Augusta, but that was way back in April. This tournament had 4 or 5 guys in contention on the back nine on Sunday, and watching it you felt anyone could take it.
Bubba Watson, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Martin Kaymer were all neck and neck, and playing musical chairs with the lead in the last few holes. Old man Steve Elkington was also in the thick of it for the better part of Sunday.
Watson absolutely crushes the ball and found himself hitting short wedge shots into just about every green. McIlroy couldn't buy a birdie putt for a good stretch in the final round. It seemed like every putt he hit either lipped out or rolled right over the edge. Kaymer displayed a great all-around game making clutch putts and hitting fairways and greens with ease. Johnson looked like the guy that took the lead into Sunday at the U.S. Open except much more cool and collected.
In the end, Bubba Watson and Martin Kaymer wound up in a playoff for the Championship. On the 18th hole Watson made double and Kaymer a bogey to win. Johnson, whom many believe should have been in the playoff, missed out due to a strange ruling. On the final hole Johnson drove his ball down the right side and into a huge crowd of people gathered off the fairway. Walking up to his ball Johnson saw that his ball lied in an area that had been trampled down by the crowds over the four days and had turned into a sandy patch. Well apparently the PGA rules officials decided that Johnson was in affect lying in a sand trap or bunker, one of about 1,200 located at Whistling Straits. In my opinion, this is kinda bullshit. Obviously, you can't ground your club in a bunker. Every golfer knows that. But because of the gallery that was there it was really pretty impossible to tell that he was in a sand trap. It really looks like he is just hitting from a sandy area. I mean have you ever seen fans standing around a player IN the bunker with him? No.
The PGA, in their defense, apparently went out of their way this week to make the players aware of this ruling possibility and posted notices all over the place explaining that all questionable areas should be treated cautiously. Whatever. Kind of lame. I'm pretty sure that no one would have noticed this if they'd have just let it slide. In the end, Johnson got screwed, and he is a great young golfer. I hope he doesn't let this effect him, as I think he could eventually be a multiple major winner.
My Top 5 finishers recap:
O'Hair - CUT (whomp whomp)
Stricker - Tied for 18th
Johnson - Tied for 5th (screwed)
Overton - +10. Ouch!
Mahan - Tied for 39th.
Damn. Johnson was my one legit shot and he got fucked. Oh well. See you at the Ryder Cup, golf fans!
