Dustin Johnson and Those Annoying Rules Sheets

We learned at an early age in junior golf: Read The Rules Sheet.

Learned the same in high school: Read The Rules Sheet.

Learned the same thing in college golf: Read The Rules Sheet.

For a time this humble player logged as a PGA Tour caddy, circa 1981, there was one item ALWAYS in my pocket: that week's Players' Rules Sheet.

Read it, kept it, just in case. Know the quirks.

In the heat of championship golf, little things make the difference as we all learned from Bunker-Gate on Sunday.

What happened to Dustin Johnson simply shouldn't have happened.

If Johnson did not read the Players' Rules Sheet, as he admitted, then his caddy should have. As a caddy on the PGA Tour, you always have your man's back. You're there to protect him, sometimes even from himself.

Even IF the caddy didn't know, there was the walking official from the PGA of America, right down there in the fairway. Take a minute, take a deep breath, just check, don't assume. You know what they say about "assume."

Quick story:

I was Hal Sutton's caddy at the 1981 U.S. Open at Merion. As the reigning U.S. Amateur champion, he was paired with Jack Nicklaus and Hale Irwin.

During the first round, Hal hooked a tee shot badly into a lateral water hazard. He knew the rules of golf and I did too. But suddenly he was confused on how to take his drop. Just call it heat of the moment. He wanted to call a rules official.

"Hal," I told him, "it will take 15 minutes to get a rules official here. We are NOT going to hold Jack Nicklaus up for 15 minutes, put the group behind, and create a problem. Here's what we're going to do.

I looked over at Nicklaus and beckoned him. "Jack, can you come over here real quick?"

Nicklaus knew what was up and came right over.

"Jack, we need a clarification over Hal's drop here," I told him.

Nicklaus, a walking encyclopedia of the rules, didn't hesitate.

"Hal, your entry point was here, I saw it. Put a tee in the ground here, two club lengths here, put another tee here," Hal did as the Golden Bear instructed.

"You're in play," Nicklaus said as he walked away.

Hal hit his shot and as we walked up the hole he looked at me.

"Hal, you're covered, you're protected. There is no living USGA member who will contradict Jack Nicklaus when it comes to the rules of golf. End of story," I told him.

Sutton smiled. "Thanks," he said.

I told him that's what a good caddy is for.

Not going to say a word about Dustin Johnson's caddy. Don't need to.

I only know how I'd have handled it with that Taylormade bag on my shoulder. 

If you're going to play the game for a living, you better know the rules, even if they are local rules.

End of story.