#Justin Thomas calls US Open drain ruling ‘f–king bulls–t’
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“Justin Thomas calls US Open drain ruling ‘f–king bulls–t'”
The truth hurt Justin Thomas.
After Thomas’ ball stopped on the edge of a water drain on the fairway of the fourth hole during Saturday’s third round of the U.S. Open, he spoke with an official and was denied a free drop. Thomas shanked his next shot.
“F–king bulls–t,” Thomas was caught by television cameras mumbling on the course.
In Thomas’ eyes, he paid the price for being honest. Under USGA rules, if he had said that the water drain was in the way of his swing or his stance, then he could have been awarded a free drop and been clear of the obstacle.
“To me it was around a drain, and very clearly my stance and my ball was sitting differently than it would be if that drain was not there,” Thomas told USGA media afterward. “I called an official to get a ruling on it, and in the spirit of the game, I wasn’t going to hit the drain. I felt like I very easily could have told her that I was going to and gotten a free drop, but I wasn’t going to do that.”
Thomas doesn’t think all of his peers share his same integrity.
“That’s what pisses me off,” Thomas said right after the shot landed in a bunker about 50 yards from the green, “because so many other people would lie about being able to hit that. But it’s just like, I’m not going to hit it.”
The USGA released a statement explaining its position.
“On the fourth hole, Justin Thomas’ ball came to rest near a drain in the fairway. Justin requested a ruling from a nearby referee. During the discussion, Justin was asked if the drain was going to interfere with his swing, to which he replied it was not,” the statement read. “Because there was no interference from the drain, Justin was not provided relief.
“Rule 16.1a(1) states that interference from an immovable obstruction exists when the ball touches or is in or on the obstruction, or the obstruction physically interferes with the player’s area of intended stance or area of intended swing. The Rule goes on to state that if the obstruction is close enough to distract the player but does not otherwise interfere, there is no relief under the Rule.”
Thomas settled for a bogey on the par-4 and finished the third round tied for 25th place at 3-over, seven shots back of leaders Will Zalatoris and Matt Fitzpatrick.
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