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.

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. 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.

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.

OAKMONT, Pa. – All the chaos and confusion couldn’t stop Dustin Johnson from proving he had the head to be a U.S. Open champion.

One year after the most devastating of all his close calls in the major, Johnson endured two hours of not knowing the size of his lead while the USGA questioned whether he should be penalized one stroke for his ball moving on the fifth green.

Johnson said it didn’t. The USGA said it would wait until after the final round to decide.

America’s most powerful golfer took matters into his own hands Sunday at Oakmont with a 10-foot par save on the 16th hole, a tee shot he smashed down the middle of the 18th fairway and an approach to 5 feet for birdie that left no doubt who won the toughest test in golf.

Only after he was guaranteed that silver trophy did the USGA assess him a one-shot penalty, turning his final score into a 1-under 69 for a three-shot victory.

The lingering question was whether this U.S. Open was tougher than it needed to be.

Johnson had a short par putt on the fifth hole, took a few practice strokes and as he placed the putter behind the ball, it moved slightly – backward. Johnson stepped back and called over the rules official, told him it didn’t move and he tapped in for par.

The USGA later decided to review it, and the timing was peculiar.

Johnson was in deep rough left of the 10th fairway when he was given relief from a television tower in his line-of-sight to the flag. He was able to move left toward the 11th fairway and drop it in the first cut of rough, and he powered it over the tower and onto the green, setting up a par. It was a huge break – within the rules – the kind that major champions often get.

One hole later, the USGA informed they had questions about the ball moving on No. 5.

“After looking at video, the actions he took could have caused the ball to move,” said Jeff Hall, director of rules and open championships for the USGA. “We asked if there was some other reason the ball could have moved. He didn’t state a reason.”

The USGA wanted him to know that a one-shot penalty was likely so he could play accordingly, but it led to confusion over the back nine – for Johnson and for the players trying to catch him.

Shane Lowry, who began the final round with a four-shot lead that he lost on the front nine, caught him when Johnson made his only bogey on the back nine. Were they tied? Was Johnson one shot behind? No one knew.

Johnson played through it all, thinking only of that silver trophy that got away from him at Chambers Bay last year when he had a 12-foot eagle putt to win and then three-putted for par to lose by one to Jordan Spieth.

Lowry, the first player since Payne Stewart at The Olympic Club in 1998 to lose a four-shot lead in the final round of the U.S. Open, lost his putting touch that had carried him to the lowest 54-hole total at Oakmont. He three-putted from long range on three straight holes, and Johnson was flawless at the end.

Johnson finished at 4-under 276.

He gave three quick fist-pumps when the birdie putt fell on the 18th, hugged his brother, Austin, who caddies for him and scooped up his son Tatum on Father’s Day.

Among the first to greet him was Jack Nicklaus, who won his first major at Oakmont in 1962. The gold medal for the winner is named after Nicklaus.

BELMONT, Mich. – Defending champion Lexi Thompson shot a 6-under 65 on Thursday for a share of the Meijer LPGA Classic lead, with Brooke Henderson, Lydia Ko and Ariya Jutanugarn close behind.

The 21-year-old Thompson played the front nine – her final nine at Blythefield – in 6 under. After parring the first nine holes, she holed out from 71 yards with a lob wedge for eagle on the par-5 first and birdied Nos. 3-5 and 8 – playing the three front-nine par 5s in 4 under.

“I had a slow start for my first nine there on the back, but hit it very well and then got on a birdie run there on my second nine,” said Thompson, ranked fourth in the world. “It’s definitely playing a little bit softer, so the greens are more receptive than last year. It was a lot firmer last year. The course was playing tough at one point because it got pretty windy.”

She was tied for the lead with 52-year-old Laura Davies, Sei Young Kim, Carlota Ciganda and Paula Reto. U.S. Women’s Open champion In Gee Chun was at 66 along with So Yeon Ryu, Jodi Ewart Shadoff, Jaclyn Jansen, Alena Sharp and Amelia Lewis.

Henderson, coming off a playoff victory Sunday over the top-ranked Ko in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship outside Seattle, matched Ko with a 67.

Henderson had five birdies and a bogey. The 18-year-old Canadian, up to No. 2 in the world, has 10 top-10 finishes this season. She also won last year in Portland, Oregon.

“It was a pretty solid day,” Henderson said. “Four under, I’ll take it. Only two back from the lead right now, the leaderboard’s pretty crowded with the top names and a ton of really good scores. I’m excited for the rest.”

Ko had three of her four birdies on the back nine in her bogey-free round.

“It was a pretty consistent day,” Ko said. “I had a few putts where it was close to going in but didn’t fall. You’ve got to commit to your lines and put a good stroke on it. But I’m happy to start with a 67. Especially, that front nine and those first few holes were tough because the wind was getting up and it seemed like the skies were getting dark, too.”

Jutanugarn, third last week after winning her previous three starts, bogeyed the last two holes for a 68. She played alongside Henderson.

Thompson won the Honda LPGA Thailand in February for her seventh LPGA Tour title. The long-hitting Florida player also won a Japan LPGA event last month. She rallied to win last year at Blythefield, finishing at 18 under for a one-stroke victory.

“A lot of great memories,” Thompson said. “I just replayed a lot of the shots I hit basically the last round. I remembered a lot. There was actually a lot of Sunday pins from last year today.”

Davies had seven birdies and a bogey.

“I’ve been playing well recently, but I haven’t been holing any putts,” said Davies, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. “Today, I holed some putts, so that’s what I put it down to 100 per cent. I did drive it well, but the putter was the reason.”

The long-hitting English player won the last of her 20 LPGA Tour titles in 2001.

“I have a very natural game,” Davies said. “I don’t have to rely on coaches and that sort of thing. It’s just all feel for me, and that’s why it’s so frustrating to play as well as I’ve done over the past few years and get nothing from it. So, I’m not saying I’ll get anything from this week, but it’s a nice start.”

Kim, the Founders Cup winner in Phoenix in March, birdied her final two holes. She had eight birdies and two bogeys.

“I shot pretty steady,” Kim said. “The greens are really holding, so it should make birdie opportunities very easier.”

Reto, from South Africa, had five birdies in a six-hole stretch on her opening nine, then added birdies on No. 3 and 9 – holing an 18-footer on the last. The former Purdue player is winless on the tour.

“I told myself, ‘If it goes in, it goes in. I’m going to put a good stroke on it,”’ Reto said. “I was really happy that it did go in.”

Ciganda had six birdies in a bogey-free round. She’s winless on the tour.

“The way it’s playing, a little wet, it reminds me a little bit of my home course back in Spain,” Ciganda said. “I played very solid today, six birdies, no bogeys. My putting was good, too.”

Michelle Wie had a 71. She had a double bogey on the par-4 16th, four birdies and two bogeys. Wie is winless since the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open and hasn’t had a top-10 finish in 37 events.

OAKMONT, Pa. – Storms that took plenty of bite out of Oakmont wound up shutting down the U.S. Open on Thursday.

The first round was suspended for the third and final time just as 28-year-old qualifier Andrew Landry was finishing up a dream round in his debut at golf’s toughest test.

Coming off two straight bogeys, Landry hit his approach into about 10 feet on the ninth hole for a birdie attempt when the horn sounded as a violent storm approached. He was at 3-under par.

That wasn’t the only memorable U.S. Open debut. Scottie Scheffler, who just finished his sophomore year at Texas, can at least say he was the leader for the day. Scheffler, one of only nine players to finish, opened with a 69.

Seven of the 78 player who teed off in the morning were under par, so Oakmont still presented its typical share of problems, mostly on the greens.

Defending champion Jordan Spieth was irritated by a few mistakes, though he was 1 over through 12 holes. Spieth was mainly disgusted on the 17th hole when his wedge landed behind the pin, spun back on the rain-softened green and kept trickling until it went down the slope and into a bunker.

“You got to be KIDDING me! How is that in the bunker?” Spieth said from the fairway before slinging his club toward his bag. Even more irritating to Spieth and others was that after the initial delay of 1 hour, 19 minutes, players were sent back to the course without having a chance to warm up.

It could have been worse. Masters champion. Danny Willett, Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler played in the same group and were a combined 14-over par through 13 holes. Fowler had missed the cut in three of his last five events.

Oakmont received more than an inch of rain overnight, and it was evident immediately how much it affected the course reputed to be the toughest in America. Denny McCarthy, the first to hit a shot in the 116th U.S. Open, struck what he thought was a good approach to No. 1. The fairway slopes sharply downhill to a green that runs away from players, and the typical play is to land it some 25 yards short and let it run onto the green and, hopefully, have it stay there.

His shot stopped short of the green.

But while the greens were soft, they still were quick as ever. Starting on No. 10, Bryon DeChambau had a 40-foot birdie attempt that didn’t stop until it was some 35 feet beyond the hole.

Two holes later, Spieth hit a wedge that checked up about 10 feet short of the hole and then trickled a few inches toward the cup. And it didn’t stop. Turn by turn, the ball kept moving until it settled 2 feet away. Even then, Spieth gave the putt great care and rolled in it.

“It’s nice to know if I miss it, I’m chipping,” Spieth said walking off the green.

There was still enough excitement, with Lee Westwood holing out with a wedge on the 14th hole, Danny Lee holing out from the fairway on No. 6 and McCarthy getting it on the act with a hole-out from the 11th fairway.

Lee was at 2 under through 13 holes, along with Bubba Watson, who made only two pars in his opening holes. Watson has never played the U.S. Open very well, except at Oakmont. He tied for fifth in 2007.

Westwood, Kevin Streelman and Harris English were at 1 under on various parts of the course.

DeChambeau, who won the U.S. Amateur last year and had to qualify for the Open because he turned pro, was among the early leaders until two holes set him back.

His shot out of deep rough in the 18th fairway squirted low and left and into a bunker, and his third shot banged off the grandstand, leading to double bogey. On his next shot at No. 1, he pushed right and into the bushes. Then, he hit a provisional shot into deep rough on the left. DeChambeau was spared by finding his ball. It was unplayable, so he was allowed to go back to the tee. He hit the fairway and limited the damage to a double bogey.

Players were sent back onto the course to play no more than two holes before another band of storms arrived, and play was halted the second time for 2 hours, 26 minutes.

The longest day of all belonged to the likes of Jason Day, Phil Mickelson and the other half of the field that didn’t even play. And they faced an even longer day on Friday that for some could mean 36 holes at Oakmont.

VICTORIA, B.C.—Marc-Etienne Bussieres etched his named on the P.D. Ross trophy Friday at Victoria Golf Club, capturing the 2016 PGA Championship of Canada sponsored by Mr. Lube and presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf.

The 29-year-old from Club de golf Longchamp bested Billy Walsh 3&1 on the 1893 A.V. Macan-designed seaside links gem in the championship’s final match.

“It’s an honour and a privilege to have your name on a trophy that’s as historic as the P.D. Ross,” Bussieres said.  “To be beside names like Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and George Knudson is really something,” he said, adding, “but they’re legends of the game and I’m just trying to get better and keep winning trophies.”

Past champions of the PGA Championship of Canada include Moe Norman, George Knudson, Al Balding, Bob Panasik, Wilf Homenuik, Stan Leonard, Lee Trevino and Arnold Palmer.

Bussieres admitted two things after his win: he hasn’t been playing much golf this year and he felt his nerves during the week.

“Honestly, I haven’t been playing a whole lot this year,” he said. “I’ve been busy working in the shop and teaching lessons, so my schedule has been pretty full.

“I’ve been pretty relaxed all week, but I was a little nervous during my first match against Oliver (Tubb). When you’re low medalist and are seeded No. 1, you don’t want to be ousted right away.”

After claiming medalist honours earlier in the week, Bussieres defeated Tubb, Kevin Black, Phil Jonas and Walsh on his path to the championship title.

In the third place match, Jonas defeated Bryn Parry 1-up.

With the championship win, Bussieres not only takes home the P.D. Ross Trophy and a $15,000 winner’s cheque, he also earns 60-ranking points and moves inside the top 10 on the PGA of Canada Player Rankings.

Click here for scoring.

In celebration of golf’s imminent return to the Olympic Games in Rio this summer, Golf Canada, its NAGA partners, the 10 Provincial Golf Associations and MacKenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada are proud to join forces again to announce the launch of the Golf Canada Golf Podium Predictor Contest – just one of the many new features of the newly revamped golfcanadagolf.ca site.

“2016 is an exciting year for golf in Canada.” says Peter Kirkpatrick, Managing Director of Brand and Marketing Services at Golf Canada. “With golf’s return to the Games, and Canada’s status as defending champions (Canadian George S. Lyon won the gold medal in 1904, the last time golf was contested at the Olympic games) our team at Golf Canada felt it was important to give Canadians the opportunity to share in the excitement. It’s our hope that the enhancements to the golfcanadagolf.ca site, including the contest, will increase the awareness for golf in the Olympics and ignite passion and pride for the game itself.”

The contest gives participants the opportunity to show off their prognostication skills by stating their predictions for who will win Gold, Silver and Bronze medals this summer.

One lucky entrant will walk (or fly rather) away with the Grand Prize of an amazing golf vacation for two in Whistler, B.C., courtesy of Tourism Whistler.

The prize includes:

• Round-trip airfare and ground transportation
• Five nights’ accommodation courtesy of the Fairmont Chateau Whistler
• One round of golf at Big Sky Golf & Country Club
• One round of golf at Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club
• One round of golf at Nicklaus North Golf Course
• One round of golf at Whistler Golf Club 
• One $100 dining gift certificate to Quattro Whistler

In addition, weekly random draws will be made for Team Canada Head Covers.

“They’re very cool and are becoming a must have for Canadian golf fans.” says Marianne Baker, Golf Canada’s Director of Brand and Merchandising. “I’m sure they will only get more popular when people see them on the clubs used by our Olympians in Rio this summer. They’re kind of our version of the Canadian mitts.”

golfcanadagolf.ca, launched in 2015, is an industry initiative that invites golfers and fans to share their golf stories and passion for the sport.

“We’re building a movement,” added Kirkpatrick. “And, it couldn’t be easier to join in using the #golfCanadagolf, the rally cry for all things great about golf in Canada.”

Visit golfcanadagolf.ca to learn more.

The magnitude of Canada’s most significant golf victory since Mike Weir won The Masters in 2003 was still sinking in Monday for Brooke Henderson.

Phone calls to her parents, responding to a stream of congratulatory text and Twitter messages – including one from Weir – and a road trip filled the hours after her first major win Sunday at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

The 18-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., birdied the first hole of a playoff to beat world No. 1 Lydia Ko of New Zealand at the Sahalee Country Club east of Seattle.

From three sand saves, to a 90-foot eagle putt on No. 11, to getting out of tree trouble for par on No. 18, Henderson was a study in resilience and shot versatility in a 6-under final round.

The victory propelled Henderson into the No. 2 spot behind Ko in the world rankings. It also pushed Henderson’s season earnings to over US$1 million.

With a lot more golf to play in 2016, including three more majors and the Olympic Games, the Canadian has set her sights on overtaking Ko.

“This is huge momentum for sure,” Henderson told reporters Monday morning from Portland, Ore., on a conference call.

“Definitely a huge confidence booster. To get that world ranking up to No. 2 is kind of surreal, kind of unbelievable, but I still have one more spot to go.”

Henderson was in Portland promoting the Cambia Classic, which was the scene of her first LPGA victory last August.

She and her sister and caddie Brittany checked into their hotel early Monday morning following the three-hour drive from Washington.

They were to fly to Michigan later Monday for this week’s Meijer Classic, as well as meet up with parents Dave and Darlene.

The first Canadian woman to win a major since Sandra Post in 1968 had an inkling of her victory’s impact at home because of Weir’s example.

Henderson was five when a 32-year-old Weir won at Augusta.

She grew up with the knowledge a fellow Canadian could hoist one of golf’s most prestigious trophies despite the country’s short playing season.

“He really changed golf in Canada I think for everybody,” she said.

As Post put it Monday on the conference call “majors are forever and that’s sort of how you define careers.”

But Henderson is far from done defining her career. She turns 19 in September so her competitive upside is abundant.

The corporate world will take notice if they aren’t already, according to one sports marketing expert.

Given the limited advertising space on their clothing, the ideal for golfers is to have deep sponsorship deals with three or four companies as opposed to shallow contracts with many brands, says Brian Cooper of S & E Sponsorship Group.

“Has this win propelled her to the level where she’s being noticed by brands as a potential sponsor? Without a doubt,” Cooper said from Toronto.

“The fact that she’s a very attractive, Canadian, young female that sort of projects Canadian values with true grit the way she won yesterday, that is definitely going to work in her favour.

“She’s got to sustain it. If she wins another major or puts together three or four titles within the next 12 months, she’ll be well on her way.”

Henderson’s ascension from the two hundreds to No. 2 in the world in the span of a year coincides with golf’s re-entry into the Olympic Games in Rio in August.

Canada’s George Lyon won gold in the sport’s lone previous appearance in 1904. Henderson is a medal favourite the first time women play golf in a Summer Games.

“The Olympics is kind of an opportunity of a lifetime,” she said. “I’m very fortunate to look like I’m going to be representing Canada and be on that team.

“Winning a gold medal and defending that championship that the Canadian won over 100 years ago, it would be a lot of fun to bring that back home to Canadians.

“I know I have the whole country behind me cheering me on.”

CALGARY—The bad boy of golf, John Daly, has confirmed he will be driving his bus to Calgary this summer to  bomb it off the tee at the 2016 Shaw Charity Classic, August 31 – September 4.

The country boy from Arkansas, who is the newest rookie to star on the Champions Tour, has been in high demand since reaching life’s half-century mark on April 28. One of the most colourful characters in professional sports, the two-time major champion and winner of five PGA TOUR titles is one of the most adored by golf fans around the globe, which has helped spiked galleries over the last six weeks on the senior circuit.

“John Daly is one of a handful of players in professional golf who is a needle mover,” said Sean Van Kesteren, executive director, Shaw Charity Classic. “Sport is entertainment, and John is exactly who fans of any sporting event want to come out and see. He is extremely talented. He still hits the ball a mile, and is a colourful character that is very entertaining while interacting with his loyal fan base. Having John Daly commit to playing in Calgary simply takes our tournament to a new level.”

Daly is excited to be back playing full-time on a Tour that will bring him to Calgary.

“I’m very excited about it. For me, it’s been seven years since I had a good schedule. My golf game hasn’t been that great, but I have been working really hard lately and I’m excited to have a full schedule and start a new chapter,” said Daly just days after his 50th birthday.

Always straight up with fans and media, Daly is renowned for having one of the largest galleries on any professional golf tour through good times and bad. Daly’s life full of public problems has pulled his loyal fans even closer to him.

“I’ve always said I’ve got the greatest fans in the world, and Calgary is no different. No matter what, through thick and thin, they’ve always stuck by me,” said Daly. “I hear the Shaw Charity Classic already attracts huge galleries. The fans pump me up and I feed off them. I always have and I probably always will. There is nothing better than getting it going and having the fans get loud and crazy. That’s just the way I like them so I’m looking forward to driving the bus up to Canada and hopefully give the fans something to get loud about.”

A wild backstory and unpredictable style, Daly has played in five events on the PGA TOUR Champions and is still searching for his first victory. His best finish is 15th at the Regions Tradition.

Daly joins World Golf Hall of Fame Members, Tom Watson and Bernhard Langer, who have already committed to play in the award-winning Shaw Charity Classic.

Click below to listen to our media teleconference with Brooke Henderson.

SAMMAMISH, Wash. – Canada’s Brooke Henderson beat top-ranked Lydia Ko with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff Sunday in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship after overcoming a three-shot deficit on the back nine.

The 18-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., ranked No. 4 in the world, closed with a bogey-free 6-under 65 – the best round of the week at Sahalee – to match Ko at 6-under 278. Ko finished with a 67.

In the playoff on the par-4 18th, Henderson hit her second shot from 155 yards to 3 feet, while Ko’s second from farther back in the fairway left her with 20 feet. Ko missed to the left, and Henderson tapped in to cap a week that started with a hole-in-one on her fourth hole of the tournament and ended with a major championship.

In regulation, Henderson saved par on 18 with a 12-footer, moments before Ko missed a 4-foot birdie try on the par-3 17th. Henderson also made a long eagle putt on the par-5 11th and birdied the par-3 13th. She won last year in Portland, Oregon, for her first tour title.

Henderson became the second-youngest winner in a major championship, with Ko the youngest last year in the Evian Championship in France. Henderson also ended the 19-year-old Ko’s bid for her third straight major victory.

Ariya Jutanugarn, in search of a fourth straight victory, shot a 66 to finish a stroke back. The 20-year Thai player missed a birdie putt on the 18th that could have put her into the playoff.

Henderson, the first-round leader after a 67, began the day at even par – two strokes behind Ko – after consecutive rounds of 73. The Canadian pulled off the comeback with a perfect back nine after going out in 2 under. Henderson’s eagle at the 11th was just the third at the long par 5 all week and separated her from a large pack at 2 under. Ko answered with a birdie at the 11th, but Henderson drew another huge roar with a birdie at the 13th to stay one shot behind.

Both continued to make pars until the 17th when Henderson dropped a 50-foot birdie putt after pulling her tee shot to the wrong side of the green on the par 3. And Henderson managed to make par on the 18th the first time despite pushing her tee shot in the trees down the right side.

The 17th also made the difference for Ko. After hitting a perfect tee shot, Ko left her short birdie putt out to the right and missed the chance to take a one-shot lead to the final hole. Ko missed a lengthy birdie putt the first time playing the 18th.

“I’m happy with the way I played. I just got outplayed,” Ko said. “For Brooke to shoot 65 on the final day at a major, at a course like this is very impressive.”