Anchored putters | Wei Under Par

May

30

2013

PGA Tour seems likely to follow USGA anchoring ban

By Stephanie Wei under Rules

The Masters champ has retained a lawyer but doesn’t plan to sue

The PGA Tour Player Advisory Council (PAC) gathered for an official meeting on Tuesday at Muirfield Village Golf Club to discuss the USGA and R&A’s announcement of their final decision to ban anchored putting under Rule 14-1b. Players, Commissioner Tim Finchem and other officials participated in the 90-minute meeting in person and by phone.

Finchem discussed the series of events that had happened regarding the anchoring issue since their last meeting and then players and officials also weighed in with their opinions on the imminent decree set forth by golf’s governing bodies that will be put in effect on January 1, 2016.

“Yesterday’s (meeting) was just hearing guys on the PAC’s opinion,” said Aaron Baddeley, a member of the PAC, on Wednesday. “(The PAC meeting) was more just to see what Commissioner Finchem was thinking, and what Slugger White and a couple of the other rules guys were thinking.”

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#2013 Memorial Tournament, #2013 Player Advisory Council, #Aaron Baddeley, #Adam Scott, #Anchored putters, #Anchoring ban, #Davis Love III, #Doug LaBelle, #Muirfield Village, #Rules of Golf, #Tim Finchem

May

20

2013

This week in Tiger news: No chance for peace with Sergio plus engagement rumors

By Stephanie Wei under Tiger Woods

Tiger doing his best Phil impression

Considering he’s not playing in a tournament this week, Tiger Woods sure has made a ton of headlines already. Between hanging out with his kids and girlfriend Lindsey Vonn and hosting charity events, Woods even squeezed in a press conference for his tournament, the AT&T National, on Monday morning at Congressional.

Let’s start with the stuff you care about most — Tiger vs. Sergio saga. In the latest episode of The Real Housewives of the PGA Tour, Tiger was asked if he had reached out to Sergio to mend things instead of relaying comments through the press. The answer was straightforward and simple: “No.”

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#2013 AT&T National, #2013 Players Championship, #Anchored putters, #Congressional Country Club, #Las Vegas, #Lindsey Vonn, #Sergio Garcia, #Tiger Jam, #Tiger Woods

May

2

2013

Padraig Harrington speaks against belly putters after using belly putter

By Stephanie Wei under PGA Tour

Paddy Power

Padraig Harrington, one of the most prolific tinkerers in the game, played with a belly putter for the first time in a competitive round at the Wells Fargo Championship. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the best day, shooting an opening 80, which included 32 putts.

While Harrington thinks the anchored stroke should be banned, he’s using the belly putter because he thinks it’s helping him stroke it better. Which is intriguing coming from the three-time major champion and R&A ambassador because it basically strengthens the argument for the USGA and R&A’s looming ban that is expected to be announced later this month.

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#2013 Wells Fargo Championship, #Anchored putters, #Belly putter ban, #Padraig Harrington, #Quail Hollow Club, #R&A, #USGA

Feb

24

2013

Finchem: Anchoring ban is not good for big business!

By Stephanie Wei under Equipment

Anchoring ban is not supported by PGA Tour

Finchem: Let’s create a clusterf*ck

PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem interrupted the final match of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship to announce that the Tour is officially protesting the proposed rule to ban anchored putters. Earlier in the week, the Player Advisory Council and Policy Board convened to discuss the issue and the majority were against the rule change, and those who were initially for the ban were swayed to alter their position.

Now this is a big deal — the Tour openly defying golf’s governing bodies, which will most likely result in a chaotic mess, as I wrote earlier this weekend.

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#2013 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, #Anchored putters, #PGA Tour Commissioner, #R&A, #Rule to ban anchoring, #Tim Fincem, #USGA

Feb

23

2013

Report: PGA Tour to defy golf’s governing bodies on proposed rule to ban anchoring

By Stephanie Wei under Rules

Part-time pro golfer and Policy Board Member Steve Stricker opposes the anchoring ban

On the final day of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, the semifinal and finals matches won’t necessarily dominate the headlines and the discussion. Instead, the announcement PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem is expected to make on Sunday will likely overshadow the actual golf.

In two meetings this week 15-member Players Advisory Council and the nine-member Tour Policy Board to thrash out the Tour’s stance on the USGA’s and R&A’s proposed ban on anchored putters, the majority of the players want the Tour brass to ask golf’s governing bodies to back off the rule change. And Finchem, who knows the “game” as well as anyone, will appear on Sunday’s broadcast to inform the world of the Tour’s objection, according to Sports Illustrated’s Michael Bamberger.

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