Golf-U.S. Open penalty confusion defused by Johnson win

(Updates with penalty imposed and Johnson victory) OAKMONT, Pennsylvania, June 19 (Reuters) - The final round of the U.S. Open was thrown into an almost farcical state of confusion on Sunday over a penalty controversy but Dustin Johnson made it a moot question by rolling to victory by three strokes. U.S. Golf Association (USGA) officials raised the question at the 12th hole of whether leader Dustin Johnson would or would not be hit with a one-stroke penalty for making his ball move on the fifth green despite a ruling on site that he was not at fault. With Johnson leading by just one stroke for much of the back nine, the state of the competition was an open question until Johnson stretched his lead to four strokes at the end, crowning his first major victory with a birdie at the 18th.

Continue reading...