The USGA and R&A officially
announced the ban of the anchored stroke on
Tuesday morning, sending plenty of golf's elite
players, coaches and equipment
manufacturers
to Twitter to make a statement.
We'll be monitoring the world's reaction to
this decision all day long, as well as gathering
reaction on the ground at the Senior PGA,
Crowne Plaza Invitational and overseas at
Wentworth.
Here is a collection of early reaction:
• • •
Bernhard Langer, two-time Masters
winner and current Champions Tour player
who
has used a long putter since the mid-
1990s
It's disappointing . . . very disappointing.
It's the same thing I've said for months: I
don't
know why they couldn't come to the same
conclusion 40 years ago that they did today.
Why does it take 40 years? Just because we
have major winners, that's what it comes
down
to.
What does this do to you from a
competition standpoint?
I don't know . . . it's two years from now
.
. . I don't know. We'll have to wait to see
what the PGA Tour says, and right now, we're
all guessing. We'll see what the PGA Tour
does. If they make their own rule, then
nothing
changes. If they don't make another rule, we'll
have to adjust. It's been talked about and
talked about and it's just disappointing. I just
don't understand why it took them 40 years to
come to their conclusion. Did they say why it
took them 40 years?
• • •
Tim Mickelson, coach, Arizona State
University
Sad day for the growth of golf. No matter
where you stand on the ban, this doesn't help
grow the game.
• • •
Greg Norman, PGA Tour legend
In response to a post by Gary Player on
the social-media site Twitter, Norman said
from
his account,
@s
harkgregnorman: "@garypl
a
yer the right decision on the anchored
putter. It will be interesting to see what
the @PGATO
U
R decides or implements."
• • •
Beth Daniel, LPGA veteran
Anchoring is not the problem with the
game. How about the art of ball striking, slow
play, the ball, driving distance, lining players
up?
• • •
Sara Brown, LPGA player
I use a 33inch putter so the anchor ban
doesn't concern me BUT I have tried a long
putter and it in no way was easier for me...
So
if it's such an advantage per say why isn't
every tour pro playing with one? Thoughts?
• • •
Parker McLachlin, PGA Tour player
I'm in support of the ban on anchoring for
tournament golf. It should have been done a
long time ago though.
• • •
Arron Oberholser, PGA Tour
player
The USGA just cut down a mole hill. Can
they now get to the mountain? Which
mountain? Driver, ball, slow play, access. You
choose.
• • •
Sergio Garcia, PGA
Tour and European Tour player
Fortunately it doesn’t affect me. I
did use it for a little bit but I never really felt
that comfortable with it.
It’s going to be a bit of a bother for
some of the other guys, but I think they will
figure out a way to get their game around it.
I stand behind the decision of the R&A
and USGA and I think we should all do the
same thing.
• • •
John Daly, PGA Tour player
NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL....all professional
organizations create their rules, PGA should
also create rules as professionals in our
organization
• • •
LPGA tour statement
The LPGA has consistently conducted our
official events in accordance with the Rules of
Golf as established by the USGA and the
R&A. We recognize the need for an
independent governing body to maintain the
rules of the game. We trust in the ability and
expertise of both the USGA and R&A to
make the decisions that are in the best
interests of the game.
The USGA provided ample time and
opportunity for us to not only educate our
players, but also to solicit input, concerns and
feedback surrounding Rule 14-1b. While we
know that not every one of our members is in
favor of the rule change, the LPGA will
continue to respect and follow the Rules of
Golf which includes the implementation of
Rule
14-1b in January of 2016.
• • •
David Feherty, broadcaster and former
player
Horrible decision. Professional golfers
need
to make the rules for professional golf. Not
rocket science.
• • •
Brendan Steele, PGA Tour player
Steele, who has anchored much of his
Tour
career, recently went conventional at the
Zurich Classic of New Orleans. "But not
because of all of this anchoring ban," he
said. "I did it because I wasn't putting
well.
"Does it make it easier? It's a matter
of preference. Some people think using a
blade
putter makes putting easier, some people
don't.
"But it shows you how bogus the
comment period was."
Referencing Sunday's final round of the
HP
Byron Nelson Championship – where on the
swing hole, the par-5 16th, Sang-Moon Bae
made a birdie putt to break a tie and take a
lead that he would not relinquish and then
Keegan Bradley, an anchored, missed – Steele
laughed.
"Let's see, Moon has a 4 1/2-footer
(closer to 6) and makes it, then Keegan on the
same line and closer (about 4 feet) misses.
How easy is it?"
• • •
Ben Crane, PGA Tour player
"I think they're giving guys ample
time (to adjust)," said Crane, who
always has used a conventional putting stroke.
"But there's just no good answer. Guys
have been doing it forever, so it's tough for
them."
• • •
Paul Lawrie, 1999 Open Champion
They’ve made the right decision
personally, because I don’t use it. If I
used it then I’d probably be a little bit
more upset. I’ve used it in the past, but
only one day in competition, at the Wales
Open and I had 40 putts. The guys that do
use it are going to be a little bit upset. So I
agree with it. I think when the club touches
your body it’s got to be easier, so I
think they’ve made the right decision.
• • •
Thomas Bjorn, chairman of the European
Tour’s tournament committee
I don’t agree with the decision. I
don’t think the ban is right. They
obviously are doing it for reasons they think
are protecting the game, and I can see that
argument. But they should have thought of
that 25 years ago.
You have so many players today who
don’t know anything different. I
don’t think it’s right that you tell
people something is okay for so long and you
can make a living with it, and then all of
sudden tell them it’s wrong and they
have to learn something new to keep their
living going. I don’t agree with that. It
can’t be right.
They (the governing bodies) have
themselves to blame for taking so long. I
think
they’ve acted because a few guys won
a few majors. So is Keegan Bradley’s
major, Webb Simpson’s major, are they
now belittled because they used a long putter?
To ban it now is wrong. I accept the ban is
there and when it’s in place no one will
think about it, but I feel sorry for the guys
who have to learn a new skill to maintain their
living.
I also think the game is suffering right
now
with participation, and we are putting a ban in
amateur golf that is going to hurt the game,
hurt participation.
• • •
Nicolas Colsaerts, PGA Tour and
European
Tour player
I agree with the ban. When I was a little
kid watching golf on TV everyone used a short
putter. It’s a difficult decision to take
because it’s been around for so long,
but my idea of golf is that everyone should
use
a short putter. You should have to control
your nerves over a four-foot putt. I
haven’t tried either putter. I
don’t understand the concept.
• • •
Graeme McDowell, PGA Tour and
European
Tour player
I agree with the decision. I think
anchoring
goes against the ethos of the game, the
physical demands of the game. You
shouldn’t be anchoring a club to your
body. I know it’s been around for many
years but let’s keep the game pure. I
would have gone for bifurcation because if it
keeps elderly players or those with back
issues
or whatever in the game than that has to be
good. Bifurcation would have been a good
middle ground.
• • •
Francesco Molinari, European Tour
player
I think they’re doing the right thing.
If you anchor then it’s a different type
of shot to any other shot in golf. I used a belly
putter for a year and a half. I definitely got
some of the advantages in the beginning but it
didn’t last. I don’t think there is
any permanent advantage, at least for me
there wasn’t. After a while I lost the
benefit of it and went back to the short
putter.
They should have banned it when it first
came out. I don’t agree with
bifurcation. I want to see the same set of
rules for everybody, amateurs and
professionals. If you start doing different
things then it might lead to other differences.
I
think it’s nice for amateurs and kids
growing up and weekend players to play the
same rules as us.
• • •
Martin Kaymer, PGA Tour and European
Tour player
I’m very glad that it’s over,
that we don’t need to talk about it
anymore. I’m just glad that it’s
off the table now, that a decision has been
made. I really don’t care about the
topic anymore. At the end of the day
it’s not cheating. Because you still have
to practice with a putter in order to become
good. It’s not like all of a sudden you
pick it up and you make more putts. But I
really don’t care anymore. I’m
just tired of the question.
• • •
Butch Harmon, Teaching
Professional
Pro golf is the only sport in the U.S. that
has an amateur body making its rules. Time
to
change
• • •
David Eger, Champions Tour player and
formerly the senior director, rules and
competitions, for the U.S. Golf
Association
I’ve never thought anchoring should
be allowed.
I don’t know how the tour cannot
go along with the USGA. How can they play
forty-some events with one rule and then go
to the U.S. Open and the British Open and
perhaps the Masters and the PGA
Championship, and anything else, and have a
different rule? I don’t know how you do
that. It would be chaos. Ultimately, I think the
tour will see the light that it has to conform
with the rules. If they’re going to play
USGA rules, they have to play all USGA rules.
This isn’t an equipment thing; this is a
rules thing — a playing rule.
It’s unfortunate for those players
who’ve gotten to the point of
dependency on it, but I’m sure
they’ll figure out a way to survive and
play well and putt well with a conventional-
length putter.
• • •
Laetitia Beck, Duke
junior
Why did you switch?
Beck: "I
don’t have the greatest putting and I
tended to push it a little so for a long time I
wanted to try a belly because I felt like it was
going to be easier for me to stay down and
not
push the putt. I thought by using a belly,
I’m not going to think as much about
the stroke because by itself it
happens.”
Did it have a significant impact
on
your game?
Beck: "Not great
improvement. … That’s why I’m
not that upset that they are going to ban it. I
feel like maybe it’s going to help me by
making other people who are not as good
switch to a short putter.”
• • •
Des Smyth, Champions Tour player who
has used a long putter for approximately 10
years
We knew it was on the way. There seems
to be a bit of devisiveness with the tour, but I
assume everyone will come off the same
page.
It’s the right thing for the game in that
if they make these decisions for what they
believe is the betterment of the game, I think
we should run along with it.
I’ve used it (a long putter) for
about 10 years. I’m very comfortable
with it, but I don’t think I’ll have
any difficulty going back. There are so many
different grips now. Years ago people had
difficulty with putting, they didn’t have
the imagination to come up with different
ideas. Now you have claw grips and two-
handed grips. You look at
Sergio Garcia putting
with his style of grip, and he’s putting
very well with that. I don’t think
it’s something that players really fear.
I think the tours will end up there (on the
same page). It would be silly, otherwise. I
think they’ll go that route, but
I’m not the authority on this. But they
use it because they can.
I remember asking someone once,
‘Why do you play out of a cart?
You’re fit as a flea.’ He said,
‘Because I can.’ ”
I had no difficulty (making the transition
to
a long putter) and I don’t think pros will
(have difficulty making the transition from a
long putter). We have the time and a lot of
them have the determination to come up with
a solution. We play the game we love. We
also
do it as our career, so it doesn’t give
you many options. If they start putting
obstacles in your way, you have to find a way
around them.”
• • •
Acushnet (parent company of Titleist)
The rule change regarding anchoring, as
explained by the USGA and R&A, concerns
only the definition of a stroke, and does not
alter any current equipment regulations or
impact any equipment that we manufacture
and sell. We believe in one set of rules in golf
and support the USGA and R&A as the
ruling bodies and will continue to manufacture
golf equipment that abides by the rules they
establish.
• • •
Bob Philion, President, Cobra Puma
Golf
Golf lost today. This is not the direction
we
should be going, it will only continue to
alienate people from golf. Cobra Puma Golf
has
been stressing the importance of game
enjoyment since we formed in 2010; game
enjoyment is how we are going to bring
people
back to golf. This decision is a giant leap back
on that front. With this decision, bifurcation
needs to be front and center in golf's
conversations and we should be focusing on
adapting the rules and the game to be
inclusive and fun.
• • •
Chris Koske, Global Director, Odyssey
Golf
Odyssey’s mission is simple:
constantly innovate to help golfers drain more
putts. We strive to make putting easier for
golfers while respecting and operating within
the rules established by the USGA.
We have anticipated the anchoring
technique ban for some time and have already
introduced products - including the Odyssey
Tank #7, which has already won on Tour -
that promote stability in the putting stroke in
accordance with the USGA rules. Golfers are
responding enthusiastically to these putters,
and we plan to continue leading the industry in
alternative methods of putting with future
product launches."
• • •
Nike Golf
In cases like this, the USGA and R&A's
decision to redefine the Rules on a product
that has already legitimately been in play for
many years has an impact on both
manufacturers and golfers. Despite this, Nike
always manages to adapt to the changes and
deliver innovative products within the
redefined Rules. The USGA and the R&A
have the right to make these changes for
competitive play. Beyond this decision, we
believe that the best interests of the sport of
golf are better served by focusing on
providing
experiences that inspire golfers to play more;
developing products that help them to perform
better; and better connecting to the golfer in
a world where alternative recreational choices
are increasing.
• • •
John Solheim, Chairman and CEO, Ping
Golf
I appreciate this was an open process. I
also recognize the importance of a single rule
book. However, I believe the rulemaking
bodies
need to better address how we need to make
the game more welcoming. I will continue to
focus my efforts on that goal."
• • •
TaylorMade Golf
We appreciate the process the USGA used
in its decision to ban the anchoring of putters,
but we don’t agree the decision is in
the best interest of the game.
• • •
Tim Clarke, General Manager, Wilson
Golf
I don’t believe the
manufacturer’s position has been
considered in the two previous equipment
decisions pertaining to the belly putter and
wedge groove change. These decisions reduce
commercial opportunities for OEMs in
categories that have been well defined for the
past few decades.
Considering how challenging the game
can
be for golfers, the anchoring ban may reduce
the enjoyment for players at every level.
Although the decision could have an adverse
effect on participation and overall enjoyment,
I
don't believe it will have a huge effect.
Since the announcement of consideration
of the rule change, we have realized a
substantial decline in belly putter sales, at
both green grass shops and off-course
retailers. I assume the reduction was in
anticipation of a final decision to ban this
product in the near future. We are always
working for innovative product solutions to
help golfers enjoy the game at their
respective
levels. This process continues to get more
challenging as the USGA and R&A
continue to limit the innovations in
performance benefits we at Wilson Golf can
provide the consumer.
• • •
Hale Irwin, three-time U.S. Open
champion, current Champions Tour player and
a player director on the Champions Tour
Division Board
It’s an unanswerable question. From
a personal level, I’ve never been in
favor of the long putter. Back when Orville
Moody broke it out many, many years ago, I
just didn’t think it was right. So
you’re talking to a player who may be
on the conservative side of the ledger, versus
some of the others who have as much passion
for it as some are against it. I can see the
dilemma that the USGA let itself get into. The
looming threat of lawsuits, I think, is the
wrong
way to go. But at the same time, we’re
looking at 2016 and that’s a long time
out there, really.
Do your personal thoughts
confuse the issue as to what the PGA Tour
could or should do?
I’m confused by the PGA Tour,
period. I think there have been a lot of issues
that have come along that haven’t
been exactly clear. I think some of the
policies
that we have in place aren’t exactly
clear. I don’t think some of the policies
we have in place are necessarily ill-founded. I
think perhaps they were rushed through too
quickly.
The equipment issue, I’m not going
to say, other than in 1977, ’78, when I
was on the Policy Board, I made a suggestion
to then-Commissioner, Mr. Deane Beman, that
we really control equipment so we don’t
have some of the issues that have cropped up.
Not that I could see into the future, but that
was my feeling at the time — that we ought to
have tighter controls on what our players out
here have at their disposal, simply because,
to
me, it’s more of a talent issue than it
was an equipment issue. Now it’s
become an equipment issue. We’ve lost
sight of talent.
I don’t know what they (PGA Tour)
want. To me, it’s such a muddled mess
now. We’ve talked about this so long;
there are so many opinions and everyone has
an opinion, in the end there are only going to
be a few people who determine what happens,
but there are scores and scores of players
who
have to abide by that. Everyone who plays
this game is an individual and we make our
own
decisions. However, when the Tour comes out,
or the USGA or the R&A or the PGA,
whomever it may be, and decrees something
different than what you normally are doing,
that upsets the apple cart and I think
we’ve got a lot of apples rolling on the
pavement right now.