Phil could've simply taken an unplayable, wherever his ball ended up. He could've gone back to within a club-length of where he putted, probably gotten out of that hole with a 9 or a 10 at-worst doing so.

It wasn't about speeding up play. They were in position. The guys up ahead were struggling with the conditions just like they were. Even had he decided to not declare the ball unplayable and played it from where it would've ended up - they still wouldn't have been put on the clock. So the slow-play thing just doesn't jive.

He wanted to make a statement. And he did. And I think he'll regret his actions looking back on it.

Phil has a very narrow window of opportunity to achieve the career grand slam. In his mind he probably thinks the USGA and their trickery has it out for him, that they don't want him to win their tournament. If he's that upset with the organization - simply don't play. And honestly - I wouldn't blame him if he decided to not play any more US Opens. I think boycotting the event would be a much better statement than him making an ass out of himself as he's trying to make an ass out of the USGA.

I'm sure he was frustrated, but he would be the last person I would expect to protest the setup in such a way.

He had options. He just lost it, and then tried to act like he was smarter than everyone else when he was called out for it.

And it backfired.

From Rule 14-5.....
(Ball purposely deflected or stopped by player, partner or caddie - see Rule 1-2)

From Rule 1-2.....
A player must not (i) take an action with the intent to influence the movement of a ball in play or (ii) alter physical conditions with the intent of affecting the playing of a hole.

and.....
Penalty for Breach of Rule 1-2:

Match play - Loss of hole; Stroke play - Two strokes.

In the case of a serious breach of Rule 1-2, the Committee may impose a penalty of disqualification.

2 stroke penalty either way, BUT.......how is "serious beach" determined? Admitting that you did it on purpose and knowing that it was illegal????

Their decision was made too quickly. If it was about a moving ball(in the past), it usually took them 3-4 holes to let the player know.

It's over now, no going back, check in the bank!

But TW is a cheat!??

Yeah, and if he knew the rule was 13-1, how did he not know that hitting a moving ball was a two-stroke penalty? LOL

Maybe Phil will start smoking and hanging out with John Daly

I am in the camp of the 2 stroke. The USGA seems to deem Phil made a stroke at moving ball that did hit the cup and continue on, not just go somewhere off to the side.

I think the USGA should get Phil to do another rule video, this one showing the infraction he did, show how each of the rules would have come into play. Also the option of an unplayable lie should be included.

For me the unplayable lie was something hadn't thought of and I have had several occasions where I could have used it. I can see now instead of having the steep side down hill putt that is going to run off the green and down 5 to 10 yards, I can take a penalty and the from the original spot move it two club lengths and now have what could be an uphill putt.

I think too much is being made of it.

    Martee For me the unplayable lie was something hadn't thought of and I have had several occasions where I could have used it. I can see now instead of having the steep side down hill putt that is going to run off the green and down 5 to 10 yards, I can take a penalty and the from the original spot move it two club lengths and now have what could be an uphill putt.

    Too bad these guys(players) really do not know all the rules. Imagine how many times this could have been used to great advantage/gain, esp. on Sat..

      Personally, I think Rule 1-2 should apply in situations such as this regardless of whether the player "makes a stroke" or not. The intent is to stop the ball. But it appears the precedent was set already with the John Daly incident.

      There were three scenarios that Phil had to choose from in that situation Saturday.

      The first scenario was to play the ball as it lied, after it came to rest, after ramming his initial putt well beyond the hole. Then, if he felt obligated to hold the USGA accountable in his post-round comments - do so. That would've been ideal imo.

      The second scenario would've been to simply declare his ball unplayable after the initial putt, go back to where he last struck the ball on the putting green, and with the penalty and 2-club margin of relief under the situation - perhaps saved himself at least a stroke or two. Which likewise would've been fine. And, perhaps, made him look smarter than the USGA in doing so. All within the rules.

      The third scenario was to do what he did. Which, imo, was part frustration/part premeditated, in wanting to make the USGA look like the villains.

      Except in doing what he did - it backfired.... he basically took the fallout and significantly softened the outcry that should've been explicitly directed toward the USGA and their setup. What he did became a bigger story than the lack of discretion from the USGA regarding setup and hole locations on several holes during a dry and windy afternoon.

      Rickie Fowler needed 19 fewer strokes on Sunday (65) than he did on Saturday (84). That is just asinine. But here we are talking about Phil and his idiotic decision to try to 1-up the USGA.

      Phil's actions ended up casting a huge shadow over the incompetencies of Mike Davis and his USGA cronies. That's the wort aspect in all of this.

        PA-PLAYA That's the wort aspect in all of this.

        No the worst aspect is people are talking MORE about what Phil did on Sat.,
        than what Koepka accomplished on Sun....and for that matter Fleetwood's stellar 63.
        Our local Sunday rag had half a page devoted just for what PM did on the 13th. green.

            Interesting Phil supposedly offer to Saturday evening to Mike Davis to withdraw. Davis assured Phil he was well within the rules.

            Granted the 63 shot was very worthy of conversations for years to come. Double winner, sorry I think Saturday made the championship less than what it should be.

              PA-PLAYA The second scenario would've been to simply declare his ball unplayable after the initial putt, go back to where he last struck the ball on the putting green, and with the penalty and 2-club margin of relief under the situation -

              You would not get the 2 club relief if going back to original point. (??)

                  darpar

                  And all because the USGA can't figure out how to run their tournament these days, because they're hellbent on preserving an image that this is the most difficult test in all of golf. Except they don't know the difference between difficult and stupid.

                  I don't find Phil without fault. It was probably his worst moment in his otherwise heralded career. What Phil did was predicated with how negligent the USGA was with setting up the course on Saturday. Again... Fowler needed 19 strokes less on Sunday than was required of him on Saturday.

                  That, in itself, was always gonna be the big headline going into Monday morning. Except Phil decided to make it about him Saturday afternoon and assumed the bad guy role and took a lot of the criticism off the USGA.

                  Brooks is a worthy champion. But that doesn't mean there weren't issues with the course setup over the weekend. As much as I detest what Phil did, ultimately the blame falls on the USGA. For the fourth consecutive US Open - they've figured out how to screw it up royally.

                  The R&A - you don't see them shaving greens and tricking up their layouts for their Open Championship. You don't see nearly as much controversy. Whether +5 wins or -8 wins - they don't care.

                  And quite frankly - nobody else cares either. Stenson shot a final round 63 at Royal Troon two years ago in the British Open and I've yet to hear anyone assert that he was an undeserving winner.

                    Martee

                    The players went from the most penal scenario on Saturday afternoon to an entirely different layout on Sunday that was much more forgiving. It should be just the opposite, and even then they should always proceed with caution, especially on layouts that have a history of being problematic.

                    I appreciate the concept that ultimately it's the players vs the course and the ability to adjust to the conditions that plays a huge role, but to go from one extreme to the other? I'm not gonna say that it invalidates the final outcome, but it does play a significant role nevertheless.

                    Brooks is a great player and a worthy champion. But I just think the USGA's incompetence takes center stage, especially considering that they've screwed this up for 4 consecutive tournaments now. They just can't get the setup right. And considering that the PGA Tour gets it right 95% of the time week in and week out, and that they have far more many tournaments they oversee - I just can't understand why it is that the USGA can't figure it out once a year.

                    They just overstretch the bounds of challenging and unplayable. They can no longer get it right.

                    Fowler shot 84 on Saturday and 65 on Sunday. One of the world's best. A whopping 19 strokes difference.

                    Nothing left to be said, really.

                      PA-PLAYA Yes, but you cannot go back to original spot, then take the 2 clubs. That would be a second unplayable, with another penalty. Unless I missed something in translation.

                          Par4QC

                          Of course, you are correct. Don’t know what I was thinking.

                          He would be required to drop (with penalty) as near as possible to the spot he last played from, no closer to the hole.

                          My bad.

                            +2 but it’s kinda shady. They just need to make a clear cut rule and dq punishment if they never want to see this again.

                              It was inevitable. Mickelson apologized earlier today.

                              “I know this should’ve come sooner, but it’s taken me a few days to calm down. My anger and frustration got the best of me last weekend,” Mickelson wrote. “I’m embarrassed and disappointed by my actions. It was clearly not my finest moment and I’m sorry.”

                              https://www.golfchannel.com/article/golf-central-blog/mickelson-not-my-finest-moment-im-sorry/

                              Time to move on. And well past the time for the USGA to send its higher echelon packing and forge a new direction under different leadership.