No one has any excuse should they repeat Dustin Johnson's infamous rules gaffe from the last time the PGA Championship was held at Whistling Straits.
To make sure players are aware of bunker policy the PGA has statement in locker room everywhere, I mean everywhere! http://pic.twitter.com/3fOckDuhHW
— Todd Lewis (@ToddLewisGC) August 10, 2015
These flyers allegedly existed back in 2010, when the PGA Championship came to one of the more notorious ends in majors history. But this year, the PGA of America is leaving nothing to chance and plastering them all over the locker room, course, scoring areas and any other place a competitor might traverse at Whistling Straits. You won't even be able to relieve yourself without being reminded that EVERY one of the ~1000 bunkers on the grounds, even those filled with trash and footprints outside the ropes, will be played as bunkers. The text of the notice, which is similar to what was put in the locker room back in 2010.
1. All areas of the course that were designed and built as bunkers, filled with sand, will be played as bunkers (hazards), whether or not they've been raked. This will mean that many bunkers positioned outside of the ropes, as well as some areas of bunkers inside the ropes, close to the rope line, will likely include numerous footprints, heel prints, trash and tire tracks during the play of the Championship. Such irregularities of surface are a part of the game and no free relief will be available from these conditions. All bunkers inside the ropes will be raked each morning prior to play as normal.
2. Stones in bunkers are movable obstructions (Rule 24-1 applies).
The early bunker count at this course totaled 967, but reportedly more have been added to the property over time. The most famous bunker at Whistling Straits, and anywhere else, is the one up on a hill way off the right side of the 18th fairway. That's where Dustin Johnson landed on his 72nd hole the last time the PGA was at Whistling Straits. DJ, of course, set up in what he thought was a waste area outside the ropes -- surrounded by fans who had trampled through, around, over and in the bunker for an entire week. He grounded his club, hit the ball, and incurred an unexpected penalty when he went to the scoring trailer. The penalty would end up bouncing him from the playoff with Bubba Watson and Martin Kaymer.
The infamy of that ending alone should ensure that no one ever repeats that mistake at this particular venue, but the PGA of America is leaving nothing to chance and making sure no one can claim they weren't properly alerted of the rule, which is unchanged even after that disaster. As for the specific bunker that became so notorious from that 2010 finish, well it's almost completely out of play anyways because they set up a massive corporate hospitality structure over it on the 18th hole (via Golf Channel):
Source: Brendan Porath http://ift.tt/1hvEKPD
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