To Intervene Or Not To Intervene: Zach's Mistaken Mark

I woke up to see a debate has broken out over whether Peter Kostis should have spoken up before Zach Johnson did not replace his marker in the correct location. I'm with Hack on this one, from the SI Confidential:

Damon Hack, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: No. That's on Zach and his caddie.

Alan Shipnuck, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: He might have if the outcome was truly going to be affected. But it's tough to shout it out in real-time when the whole state has become hushed.

Mark Godich, senior editor, Sports Illustrated: If the outcome was going to be affected? Turns out, Zach had to make a five-footer. Otherwise, they were in a playoff.

Ryan Reiterman, senior producer, Golf.com: Absolutely not. And Zach should take a lesson from Tiger. Flip a coin over to the opposite side to remind yourself to move it back.

Kostis spoke to Steve Elling at length and since he wasn't even entirely sure of the violation, it would be impossible for him to speak up in the situation.

On the air, Kostis asked Jim Nantz and Nick Faldo -- parked in a network tower at the 18th -- whether Johnson had remarked his ball. By then, it was too late for Kostis to say anything to Johnson or caddie Damon Green directly. Amid the usual last-hole confusion, Kostis wasn't even 100 percent sure that Johnson had replaced the marker in the first place.

“I desperately wanted to scream out to Damon or Zach,” Kostis said. “But by then, he was almost over the ball already. The normal protocol is that when a player moves his coin, for the other player to ask if he replaced it. Jason Dufner did not do that. He blew it, I blew it, we all blew it.”