‘Only guy that knew it:' PGA Tour leader stunningly blows rules whistle on himself

Cameron Young, right, on Sunday on the 2nd hole at Trump National Doral.Getty Images

Cameron Young, in the end, lost no ground.

He may have also gained a few followers.

On his second shot on the second hole at Trump National Doral, Young took his iron about halfway back, then paused, then looked at his ball. He said it moved slightly forward — and that’s all what was needed for theater to start during Sunday’s final round of the Cadillac Championship.

Young called for an official. In question was what moved the ball. Could it have been Young? Could it have been something else? Young was also leading by five. The official walked up, and Golf Channel mics picked up Young telling him that he didn’t know “for sure” whether he had caused the ball to move, before saying that he touched the grass and the ball rolled. The official told him it would be a one-shot penalty. Young also asked for a video review, and the infraction wasn’t changed.

In play was rule 9.2b (2) of the Rules of Golf, which reads this way:

“The player, the opponent or an outside influence is treated as having caused the ball to move only if it is known or virtually certain to be the cause. If it is not known or virtually certain that at least one of these was the cause, the ball is treated as having been moved by natural forces. In applying this standard, all reasonably available information must be considered, which means all information the player knows or can get with reasonable effort and without unreasonably delaying play.”

And what does “known or virtually certain” mean? The Rules of Golf say this: “Known or virtually certain means more than just possible or probable. It means that either: There is conclusive evidence that the event in question happened to the player’s ball, such as when the player or other witnesses saw it happen, or although there is a very small degree of doubt, all reasonably available information shows that it is at least 95 percent likely that the event in question happened.”

On the Golf Channel broadcast, rules official Mark Dusbabek, announcer Steve Sands and analysts Smylie Kaufman and Curt Byrum said this:

Said Dusbabek: “So when you put your club down and your ball subsequently moves, what could have caused it to move. You have to be certain that it was gravity that caused it to move or yourself, and in doubt, you go back to gravity, but he was certain he did something to cause it to move.”