Broomstick ... Brett Ogle used a long putter during his playing days. Source: Colin Murty / News Limited
Are we heading for a showdown between the worlds governing bodies over the banning of the anchored putter?
Fighting out of the blue corner you have the PGA Tour, the PGA of America and the National Golf Course Owners Association which considered by many is a highly influential voice in the game of golf in America plus most of the major equipment companies that make belly and long putters.
All of them have stated that banning the anchoring of a putter would be a huge mistake.
On Sunday during the Accenture Matchplay final, USPGA Tour boss Tim Finchem said that 13 of the 15 players on the PGA Tour advisory board were against the ban.
"The essential thread that went through the thinking of the players and our board of directors was that in the absence of data or any basis to conclude that there is a competitive advantage to be gained by using anchoring, and given the amount of time anchoring has been in the game, that there was no overriding reason to go down that road," Finchem said.
"The game globally is stronger than it’s ever been and that on the heels of having anchoring as part of it for the last 30 or 40 years. You can’t point to one negative impact of anchoring.”
Over in the red corner and for the ban are the tradionalists led by the games two governing bodies, the US Golf Association and the Royal and Ancient.
Alongside them and vocal about the banning are some of the game’s biggest names in Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Greg Norman and Arnold Palmer.
There argument is: "The game has always been about whether you can handle your nerves under pressure and especially putting and no doubt the long putter helps control that".
That’s a fair call and I totally agree with. There is no doubt in my mind I would not have won the Hawaiian Open on the US Tour back in 1994 if I wasn’t using the long putter.
It certainly helped me control my stroke when under pressure.
But the crux of it is that the long putter has been around for over four decades and if they were going to ban the method they should have stepped on it back in the ‘80’s or ‘90’s. But they didn’t.
C’mon you guys open your eyes! Why would you (the USGA) specifically give the thumbs up to anchoring on two separate occasions and now do a back-flip just because a couple of guys have won Majors.
It’s not about the professionals you idiots it’s about the millions of others that play the game and need a long putter to enjoy this wonderful game.
Now back to the golf and this week the PGA Tour moves to the first event of the Florida swing, the Honda Classic.
It’s played on one of the toughest golf courses you will find anywhere in the world, the Jack Nicklaus designed PGA National.
The course boasts one of the most fearsome stretches of holes in all of golf and is simply known as “Bear Trap”. Holes 15-17 are talked about each year and that will be no different this week.
Rory McIroy is back to defend his title he won a year ago and so is the runner up Tiger Woods.
Woods closed last year’s championship with the low round of the tournament, an eight under par 62. Both players will have plenty to prove this week after shock first round losses at the WGC event in Arizona.
No doubt the American players will be out to avenge a terrible run at this event with 7 of the last 8 winners all being international players. And I feel the trend will continue this year.
Watch out for Charl Scwhartzel. Played great at the Northern Trust Open a couple of weeks ago finishing one shot out of the playoff.
Six of his eight rounds played on the Nicklaus course have all been under par. Finished T5 in 2012.
After missing the cut in his first event of the year Frederick Jacobson has light it up.
He posted back to back top 10’s and then last week made it through to the 3rd round. Has two top 10’s at this event the past four years.
There are 10 Aussies in the field this week and no doubt the standout is Jason Day. In four starts in 2013 the Queenslander has posted three top 10s.
Coming off a great effort last week at the WGC event where he beat Ian Poulter to finish 3rd.
Have a great golfing week everyone!
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