Hold the back page: Costly errors prove downfall to greats

There’s likely to be a strong sense of déjà vu next week for Dustin Johnson when he returns to Whistling Straits. Remember what happened there in 2010? Martin Kaymer won a breakthrough Major title when claiming the US PGA but that feat was overshadowed by what happened to DJ, who was penalised for mistakenly grounding his club in a bunker on the 72nd hole. It was a silly mistake and if there is any solace for Johnson it is not he is not alone on that score. Golf has its fair share of players whose brains freeze.

A remark made by Albert Einstein comes to mind in recalling some of the dumbest things to have happened in golf’s Majors through the years. “The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits,” he said.

For sure, golf is far removed from rocket science – even if its rule book can be a convoluted affair – but the instances of stupid, silly, idiotic mistakes made in the Major championships is a long list of self-inflicted woe. That PGA in 2010 was certainly among the more notable of such mental lapses, with Johnson unable to adequately put words to his feelings after the added penalty shots left him shell-shocked in the locker room as Kaymer and Bubba Watson went about the business of a play-off.

“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,” said Johnson, who had played from a sandy area outside the ropes which had been trampled down by spectators.

When it was pointed out to him that the PGA of America had actually pinned up rules sheets on the specific matter of waste areas and bunkers, Johnson responded: “I only look at it if I have a reason to, and I didn’t see I had a reason to.”

It was to prove a costly error on his part, that’s for sure, but there have been other incidents through the years to demonstrate that golfers don’t always think with their brains in the Majors.

Other incidents are worth recalling. Like that of Argentina’s Roberto De Vicenzo in the 1968 Masters: he cost himself a chance of a play-off that year at Augusta, when he signed for an incorrect score. His playing partner Tommy Aaron had marked a four instead of a birdie three for De Vicenzo’s score on the 17th in the final round. The player failed to notice the marker’s mistake and so Bob Goalby won the green jacket. “What a stupid I am,” said De Vicenzo on being informed of the mistake.

In the 1940 US Open at Canterbury Golf Club in Cleveland, Ed Oliver – known as “Porky” – proved to be too cute for his own good. Aware of impending bad weather, Oliver and a number of other players started their final rounds ahead of schedule in an attempt to beat the weather front. He shot a final round 71 for 287 which seemed to have earned him a place in the play-off with Lawson Little and Gene Sarazen.

After the round, though, all those players who had teed off prior to their scheduled tee times were disqualified. Oliver was in the locker room readying for a play-off when informed of his disqualification and broke down into tears on hearing the news. He would finish runner-up in the Masters (1953), the US Open (1952) and US PGA (1946) in his career without ever managing to win a Major title.

A simple case of blowing away a gnat proved costly for Lloyd Mangrum in the 1950 US Open at Merion. Involved in an 18-hole play-off with Ben Hogan and George Fazio, Mangrum – one stroke behind Hogan at the time – marked his ball on the 16th hole and blew on it to remove the flying insect. He holed his putt for a par but was then informed by an official that he had incurred a two-stroke penalty for breaching a USGA rule. It effectively ended any chance of catching Hogan. And mistakes aren’t confined to the male of the species. In the 1957 US Women’s Open, Jackie Pung walked off the 18th green in the belief she had won. In signing her scorecard, though, Pung signed for five on the fourth hole instead of the six she had made. Even though the 18-hole total on her card was correct, tournament officials had no choice but to disqualify her. He missed out on the title and on the $1,800 winner’s cheque. Feeling sorry for her, Winged Foot members clubbed together and raised $3,000 to ease the pain.

Borussia lower internet to raise fans’ attentions

Here’s something that could catch on: Borussia Dortmund plans to decrease the internet speed available to fans at its famed Westfalenstadion – which has a capacity of 80,770 and features the Yellow Wall terrace packed with 25,000 – so that spectators will pay more attention to games.

The initiative has been taken to encourage the team’s supporters – already recognised as among the top followers in the sport – to put their mobile phones away and to concentrate even more on getting behind the team.

Ronaldo goes undercover to fool the masses

Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, so comedian Jason Byrne – who hosted the RTÉ programme “Anonymous” – will be mightily chuffed to see than none other than Cristiano Ronaldo has gone undercover as part of a promotional campaign for his headphone sponsors.

“People are going to think I’m crazy,” mutters Ronaldo before donning mask, beard and padding to play the “role” of a homeless man which actually does a good job in demonstrating the society’s attitude in a marketing campaign on YouTube.

Although he spends over an hour in a town square showcasing his football skills, it is only after interacting with a young boy – autographing a football before ripping off the mask etc to reveal who he really is – that the crowds engulf him.

Glazier may be required in the Sindo

Is that the sound of glass shattering? People who build their own glasshouses definitely shouldn’t be throwing stones which is why we can’t resist pointing out the volte-face taken on a two-tier GAA championship by the Sindo’s Eamonn Sweeney who appears to have a short memory when engaging on the subject.

In his column on May 3rd: “I think the GAA should move the football championship to a two-tier system in 2016, with the top 16 teams in next year’s league making the cut for the premier competition. That would give us a league with plenty at stake. And to keep it that way you could have a four up, four down system every year, which would keep all the teams on their toes.”

In his column on August 2nd: “The two-tier championship is this year’s Big Stupid GAA Idea.”

Wait, there’s more: “What the confederacy of dunces propounding the two-tier idea haven’t explained is which counties are going to be in the top tier.”

We’re thinking of doing a little whiparound in the office to buy a pointed hat – with a Big “D” – to be dispatched across the Liffey.