The gaffe will be with him forever, so give Dustin Johnson credit for a good sense of humor and friendly disposition.

There will be no repeat this year of Dustin Johnson's debacle from the 2010 PGA at Whistling Straits. There will be a "through the green" rule in which competitors can remove debris or loose impediments and ground their clubs in sandy areas. Allan Henry/US Presswire

When Johnson learned that this week's venue for the PGA Championship, the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, will not treat bunkers as hazards, he could only chuckle.

"I said, 'You're welcome,'" Johnson answered, feigning to take credit for the PGA of America's decision to treat all sand this week as "waste areas'' and not hazards, perhaps to avoid the kind of controversy Johnson faced two years ago at Whistling Straits.

It was there during the final round of the 2010 PGA Championship, on the final hole, that Johnson found his errant tee shot in an area trampled down by spectators that he didn't realize was a bunker. Neither Johnson nor his caddie realized it was a hazard. He grounded his club behind the ball, meaning his bogey-5 turned into a triple-bogey 7 due to a 2-shot penalty.

That caused Johnson to miss a playoff won by Martin Kaymer over Bubba Watson.

This year, that won't be a concern. All sandy areas -- except those that are part of water hazards -- are considered "through the green,'' meaning players can remove debris or loose impediments and ground their clubs.

What happened to Johnson has nothing to do with the decision -- other events at the Ocean Course have also been played in this manner, including the 1991 Ryder Cup. And yet, the PGA of America went out of its way to make the announcement some 10 days ago.