Officials stepped in and prevented PGA Championship victory over unknown rule

Dustin Johnson could have gone on to win his first major title at the PGA Championship back in 2010 had it not have been for him unknowingly breaking the unique rules

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Dustin Johnson saw a potential PGA Championship win fade in an instant by unknowingly breaking a rule. This year's tournament is reaching its climax, at which point in 2010, Johnson only required a par on the final hole of Whistling Straits to secure victory over Martin Kaymer and Bubba Watson.

And while many would have expected the now-LIV Golf star, 40, to seal the deal on the day, fate had other plans for him. Johnson began the final hole with a wayward tee shot that flew off to the right of the fairway before landing in a sandy patch.

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Despite sand being present in the vicinity of his ball, Johnson believed it to be a 'waste area', which would allow his club to become grounded as he prepared for his second shot. However, a unique rule for that year's instalment of the tournament meant that every sand patch on the course was to be played as a hazard instead.

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As a result of grounding his club in an area which was deemed to be a bunker, Johnson unbeknowingly landed himself a two-stroke penalty. Blissfully unaware of his infringement, Johnson missed his par putt and registered a bogey, with his attention turning to a play-off.

However, PGA officials were quick to highlight the error of his ways almost instantly after he carded his score, meaning that Johnson was not only out of a title, but also out of the play-off with Kaymer and Watson. Speaking about the incident, Johnson said: "I just thought I was on a piece of dirt that the crowd had trampled down.

"I never thought I was in a sand trap. It never once crossed my mind that I was in a bunker. Obviously I know the rules of golf and I can't ground my club in a bunker, but that was just one situation I guess.

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"Maybe I should have looked to the rule sheet a little harder." Johnson had plenty of warning regarding the sand patches, given that event organisers went to extreme lengths to notify players of the rules.

A note was also displayed in the locker room which read: "All areas of the course that were designed and built as sand bunkers will be played as bunkers (hazards), whether or not they have been raked. This will mean that many bunkers positioned outside of the ropes, as well some areas of bunkers inside the ropes, close to the rope line, will likely include numerous footprints, heel prints and tire tracks during the play of the Championship.

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"Such irregularities of surface are a part of the game and no free relief will be available from these conditions." Kaymer ultimately won the Championship in 2010 after besting Watson over the course of the 10th, 17th, and 18th holes - winning his own first major title in the process.

Johnson, meanwhile, settled for a T5 finish alongside Jason Dufner and Steve Elkington with an overall score of nine-under-par - two strokes behind Kaymer and Watson. To date, the South Carolina-born pro is still yet to taste success at the PGA Championship, with his best finish coming in the form of second in 2019.

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However, he has since gone on to achieve victory at two major tournaments. Johnson bagged his first major title at the 2016 US Open, running out with a three-stroke lead over Shane Lowry, Jim Furyk, and Scott Piercy at Oakmont Country Club with a total score of four-under.

He then claimed his second at the 2020 Masters at Augusta National, finishing five strokes clear of Im Sung-jae and Cameron Smith at a record-low 20-under par. With a total of 24 wins on the PGA Tour, Johnson switched allegiance to LIV Golf in June 2022.

Fast forward to 2025 and he's racked up a total of three event wins under the breakaway banner, captaining the 4Aces GC team of Thomas Pieters, Patrick Reed and Harold Varner III. His last LIV win came in Las Vegas back in February 2024.

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