Green muddle mars Johnson's Open win

21 June 2016 - 10:18 By ©The Daily Telegraph

Dustin Johnson won the US Open on Sunday, but like so much of his life and career, it was not without its fair share of controversy. Two rulings involving Johnson dominated talk after the final day at Oakmont, one of which created a great deal of confusion and garnered widespread criticism for the US Golf Association.Who is Dustin Johnson?Johnson is an American golfer who, nine years into his professional career, has just won his first major at the age of 31.Described by John Huggan as the "most physically gifted player" in the game, Johnson has faced plenty of non-golfing problems over the years that have slowed his progress.This past weekend it was an issue not of his own making that nearly derailed his charge towards the title.What happened on the fifth green?As Johnson practised ahead of a putt, his ball moved slightly, but replays showed there was no contact with the ball.Johnson stepped away from the shot and said he hadn't impacted the ball. Had he made it move he would have incurred a one-shot penalty.A rules official at the fifth green was content there was no problem and Johnson was allowed to continue in the knowledge that his score had not been changed.He then continued for six holes under the impression that no further action had been taken, before another rules official approached him ahead of the 12th hole and told him that the original decision might be reviewed.Johnson completed the final seven holes of the round unsure as to whether he had incurred a penalty or not. The penalty stroke was eventually upheld and Johnson's 68 round was made a 69 - a change that ultimately had no effect on the outcome - he won by three clear shots - but was nonetheless criticised in the golfing community.Rory McIlroy, who missed the cut, tweeted: "This is ridiculous ... No penalty whatsoever for DJ. Let the guy play without this crap in his head. Amateur hour from @USGA."Minutes later Jordan Spieth said: "Lemme get this straight. DJ doesn't address it. It's ruled that he didn't cause it to move. Now you tell him he may have? Now? This a joke?"Even Ernie Els was outraged, prompting him to say: "@USGA treatment of @DJohnsonPGA absolutely shocking. No way he made the ball move."Johnson had already been involved in another controversial incident, when he was allowed a "line of sight" free drop onto the fairway having wildly miscued a tee shot on the 10th hole, because a television tower was in the way.What other controversy has he been involved in?WomanisingMost infamous of Johnson's many misdemeanours is his alleged womanising. Robert Lusetich, Fox Sports golf analyst and author of a book about Tiger Woods, wrote that it was "not a huge secret that Johnson had affairs with the wives of two PGA Tour players - one broke up the marriage".In November 2014, Oliver Brown wrote that Johnson had learned "precisely nothing from the experience of his close friend Tiger Woods".DrugsJohnson has tested positive for illegal drugs three times (in 2009, 2012 and 2014), twice for cocaine and once for marijuana, the most recent of which forced him into a six-month "leave of absence" to resolve his "personal problems". At least that was what the authorities called it.Johnson has since insisted he does not have a drug problem, but he did admit to drinking too much."I did not have a problem [with drugs]. It's just something I'm not going to get into. I have issues. But that's not the issue," he said."I don't miss waking up with a hangover, and I didn't drink very often. It was just when I did it was a little too much." ..

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