Southampton, New York: Officials found themselves in a firestorm of criticism for opting not to disqualify Phil Mickelson after the five-times major champion deliberately hit a moving ball during the third round of the US Open at Shinnecock Hills on Saturday.
The incident happened on the 13th green in what the American said was a deliberate action to “take advantage of the rules” — a comment that did not sit well with some former players.
The controversial moment occurred after Mickelson missed a short downhill putt and his ball continued to trickle away from the cup, aided by both gravity and a strong tailwind.
Rather than waiting for it to stop, he broke into a trot and when the ball was about 15 feet below the cup, and still in motion, he hit it back up the slope and it came to rest above the hole.
Mickelson, who is well out of contention for victory, said he knew the action would bring a two-shot penalty, and that he had hit the ball to prevent it from rolling all the way off the green and behind a bunker.
“I didn’t feel like going back and forth,” he told reporters. “I would do it again. I wanted to get to the next hole and I didn’t see that happening at the time without the two shots.
“I think knowing the rules is never a bad thing. I mean, you want to always use them in your favour.” Hitting a moving ball incurs a two-stroke penalty, and Mickelson was eventually assessed with a six-over 10 at the par-four hole.
He could have been disqualified had officials deemed it a serious breach of another rule that states “a player must not take an action with the intent to influence the movement of a ball in play”.
However, US Golf Association rules chief John Bodenhamer said Mickelson’s violation did not reach such a level.
Former PGA Tour winner Frank Nobilo was not impressed by the USGA decision.
“To me it was quite straightforward. I think he should be disqualified,” New Zealander Nobilo said in his role as a Golf Channel analyst.
“The game would have benefited from it. He is not using the rules, he is deliberately breaking the rules.”
Fellow analyst Brandel Chamblee was similarly scathing.
“This was Phil Mickelson disrespecting not only his position in the game, but also disrespecting the game,” he said.
Television analysts on the live coverage were stunned.
“John Daly’s reputation took a hit after what he did at Pinehurst in ‘99 and I fear it will be the same for Phil,” former US Golf Association executive director David Fay said when comparing the incident with one from 19 years ago.
Brooks Koepka boosted his bid for a US Open title repeat, firing a third-round 72 to join a four-way tie for the lead at Shinnecock Hills.
Koepka’s two-over effort looked plenty impressive on an afternoon that saw scores soar on the Long Island course’s lightning-fast greens.
And it put him in prime position to become the first player since Curtis Strange in 1988-89 to win back-to-back US Open titles.
“I think I’m just thinking one shot at a time,” Koepka said. “Just keep plugging away, keep doing what I’m doing. I feel really good. I feel confident.”
Koepka started the day five shots behind overnight leader Dustin Johnson.
He opened with a bogey at the first, but rebounded with a birdie at the par-three second and picked up another stroke at the par-three 11th.
After a bogey at the 12th, he rolled in a 61-foot putt to save par at 14, where he was in deep rough off the tee.
A bogey from a fairway bunker followed at 15, and he three-putted the 17th.
