Kaymer emerges from Dyeabolical wreckage

The 18th hole at Whistling Straits lived up to its "Dyeabolical" name in more ways than one yesterday on its way to deciding the 92nd PGA Championship.

Before Martin Kaymer made a 2-footer for bogey on the hole to win a three-hole playoff over Bubba Watson, it was the site of a two-stroke rules violation by Dustin Johnson for grounding his club in a sand trap. The violation eliminated Johnson from the playoff after he had birdied the 16th and 17th holes to move into a one-stroke lead.

One could say the 18th hole was diabolical in allowing Johnson to think he didn't have to worry about grounding his club in a sandy area even though tournament officials had gone out of their way to warn players to be on the watch for this possibility. Still, there were a lot of people surrounding the site of his infraction and in the excitement of the moment it was easy to understand how he might not have been thinking straight.

It's also unfortunate that the rules official accompanying the day's final twosome didn't speak up and warn Johnson before his misdeed. There was plenty of time to do so while the area was being cleared of spectators to allow Johnson to have a clear shot at the green. But apparently Johnson didn't ask for a ruling and none was given.

To have this happen to someone who was seemingly on the verge of gaining redemption for his U.S. Open meltdown at Pebble Beach earlier this summer seemed almost satanic in nature. It was the cruelest ending to a major since Roberto de Vicenzo signed for a higher score in the final round of the 1968 Masters that was won by Bob Goalby. Johnson, you may remember, had a three-shot lead going into the final round of the U.S. Open before he took a bizarre triple bogey on the second hole on his way to an 82.

But the devil's work wasn't done with Johnson's misdeed on a hole named after course designer Pete Dye. One could also say the high-risk-reward 18th hole tempted Watson to shoot at the flag with his second shot during the playoff with Kaymer when a more strategic approach was merited. Watson, who was in better position than Kaymer after their tee shots landed in the right rough, probably didn't need to go at the flag with the match still tied. Whether the devil made him do it or as he claimed it was just a case of making a bad swing, Watson paid a dear price for his decision.

Watson hit a poorly struck 7-iron into water, some 30 yards short of the green even though he had a better lie than Kaymer. Watson hit his fourth shot over the green into a bunker. His bunker shot hit the flag, setting up a tap-in for a double bogey. Kaymer, who had hit a longer tee shot but into a very poor lie, resisted temptation after seeing Watson go in the water. He simply chipped out and then hit a 7-iron to 15 feet for a two-putt bogey.

Kaymer, a 25-year-old German with five victories on the European Tour to his credit, made two crucial putts on his way to his well-deserved victory. He sank a 15-foot par putt on the 18th hole to join Watson at 11-under 277. He made another 15-foot putt for birdie on the par-3 17th to draw even with Watson in their three-hole playoff after two holes.

On an entertainment scale of 1 to 5, Oldgolfdawg would throw the 92nd PGA Championship five dog biscuits. Six players had a share of the lead at some point yesterday, and during the final 30 minutes six players were separated by just one shot. That included Rory McIlroy, a 21-year-old from Northern Ireland who was trying to become the youngest major champion in 80 years, and Australian Steve Elkington, who at 47 was trying to become the oldest winner of a major.

Oldgolfdawg knows a lot of people are upset about the ruling against Johnson, but can't fault the PGA for its decision. It posted a notice in the locker room and on the first tee throughout the week, reminding players that all bunkers would be treated like hazards. Six years ago in the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, Stuart Appleby was unaware of the rule and was assessed a four-shot penalty. Johnson should have known better.

But what does bother me is that a rules official walking along with the final twosome wasn't proactive in reminding Johnson of the rule at such a critical juncture in the tournament. There certainly was time to do so. Shouldn't that be part of the official's duties? Why wait to be asked for a ruling? Why not be proactive to prevent these things from happening?

Information from PGATOUR.com and the Associated Press contributed to this post.