Dustin Johnson, the world’s 14th-ranked golfer, avoided a disqualification by mere seconds at the Northern Trust Open today for, of all things, nearly missing his 7:32 a.m. tee time. Emily Kay of Waggle Room, SB Nation’s blog for all things golf, has more details:
Officials assessed Johnson a two-stroke penalty on his first hole, so he limped out with a double-bogey seven on the par-5, according to a tour spokesperson.
Rushing to the first tee is not exactly the best way to start a golf tourney. Johnson followed up his double with bogeys at the second and eighth and made the turn in 37 after birdies on the fifth and ninth holes.
Johnson now stands at four over on the tournament, tied for 69th place. Perhaps he should invest in a new alarm clock, as Kay suggests, to avoid starting in a two-stroke hole in the future.