Wow. I mean... Wow. I don't want to take away from Martin Kaymer's well-deserved victory, but good-golly-miss-molly~! How do you explain what happened in the final round at Whistling Straits except for complete disaster?
QUESTION: Could this 2-stroke penalty on Dustin Johnson been prevented if the Rules Officials themselves roped off the bunker or marked it OB in the first place?
ANSWER: Yes.
Why bother having rules officials set up a golf course for a Major Championship if they can't do it right? Blocking off a trap in deemed "in play" is a basic rules official task? No?
As Dustin stepped onto the 18th tee-box with a 1-shot lead, par was all he needed. Dustin blasted his drive WAY left into the "crowd". The lye was stomped and trampled for (most likely) 6 days prior, as practice rounds and regular play rolled through. 
After Dustin missed a small put to win the tournament, Martin Wilson, head of the the PGA rules committee, notified Dustin of his error. Good thing Dustin wasn't a crazy woman with PMS!;) He then told the media (after the 2-strokes were made final) that he would take Dustin into the CBS truck to show him a larger image of him grounding the club. Wasn't that nice of Martin? (middle finger up in air).
Dustin knows the roles of golf, that's not the point. Dustin's 18th hole situation needed proper assistance, clearly. A good friend was penalized 2 strokes last year on the Duramed Futures Tour because her dad fell into the bunker while walking alongside her as a "spectator". Her playing-competitor said that her dad was "testing the sand" and called on the Rules Official who concurred. Aside from the fact that the playing-competitor is a giant-beeotch, this situation is in the same family... Spectators don't belong in traps! 
So, like... maybe Martin Wilson shoulda taken better control of markings and roping... but it's never "their" fault is it? It is this time! Too bad that Dustin had to take the cake...
