Belly Putters | Wei Under Par

May

27

2013

PGA Tour anchorers join forces in potential lawsuit

By Stephanie Wei under PGA Tour

Tim Clark is thought to have led the anchorers against the ban on anchoring

Tim Clark, Carl Pettersson and seven other PGA Tour players have teamed up to take on golf’s governing bodies if the PGA Tour adopts the impending ban on anchored putters, which the USGA and R&A announced last week would be banned starting January 1, 2016. While several other major tours have come out to voice their support for golf’s governing bodies, the PGA Tour is waiting it out and if it decides to adopt — which it likely will — the rule, then nine Tour pros are ready to fight over the issue in court, according to SB Nation’s Emily Kay:

8 Comments

#Anchoring ban, #Belly Putters, #Boo Weekley, #Brian Gay, #Carl Pettersson, #Henrik Stenson, #Lawsuit, #R&A, #Rules of Golf, #Tim Clark, #USGA, #Webb Simpson

May

21

2013

Anchors away: anchoring ban reaction from around the web (LIVE)

By Conor Nagle under Rules

The Masters 2013: Adam Scott is a worthy winner but it is now time to ban the belly putter

Adam Scott plans to keep the broomhandle. (Reuters)

As expected, the USGA and R&A availed of this morning’s conference call with journalists to confirm their amendment of rule 14-1b to prohibit the anchored putting stroke. The announcement brings to an end what the official statement describes as an “extensive review” of the issue, during which comments from various dissenting parties and interest groups — among them the PGA Tour and PGA of America — were considered at length.

Join us below the line for a breakdown of the rule change itself, plus quotes and reaction from the saga’s chief protagonists (except for Carl Petterson; he needs a few days to process things, apparently).

6 Comments

#Anchoring ban, #Belly Putters, #Long Putters, #Mike Davis, #R&A, #USGA

Dec

1

2012

Must-watch video: “The Golf Nerds'” on the anchoring ban

By Stephanie Wei under Humor

This is an absolutely brilliant and hilarious parody on the whole anchoring ban rule that you may have heard about. Bravo, Alan Bastable!

#Anchoring ban, #Belly Putters, #Comedy, #Golf Nerds', #Parody, #USGA

Nov

27

2012

Anchors away: It’s about time

By Stephanie Wei under Equipment

Keegan to USGA: Fine, I'll deal with it.

On the eve of the joint teleconference by the USGA and R&A on Wednesday morning from 8:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. (EST), it’s widely purported that golf’s governing bodies will announce that the decision has been made to ban “anchoring,” aka the putting method used with belly and broomstick putters. Which allegedly will not go into effect until 2016 (because the USGA reviews the Rules of Golf every four years, don’t ask me why).

The short of it via industry chatter and insiders: Anchoring against the fulcrum (body) will be illegal, but golfers will still be allowed to anchor the putter against the arm — a la Matt Kuchar. You can use a long putter as long as it isn’t propped or wedged against a part of the body. The actual wording of the rule will be interesting because of the gray area that comes up in this game and the potential lawsuits.

8 Comments

#2012 PGA Tour Q-School Finals, #2012 World Challenge, #Anchoring ban, #Belly Putters, #Brandt Snedeker, #Broomstick putters, #Keegan Bradley, #Long Putters, #Nerves, #Padraig Harrington, #Ross Fisher, #Rules of Golf, #Steve Flesch, #Tiger Woods, #Webb Simpson

Nov

1

2012

Anchoring: players prepared to sue in event of ban?

By Conor Nagle under Equipment

Keegan Bradley: say hello to his longer-than-standard friend. *ahem*

Golfweek’s Alex Miceli, currently in China for the WGC-HSBC Champions, has filed an interesting report on the growing resistance among exponents of anchored putting techniques to the idea of an equipment ban.

Some tour players, sensing their livelihoods at risk, are apparently willing to consider legal action in the event of a rules change.

10 Comments

#Anchoring, #Belly Putters, #Davis Love III, #Ernie Els, #Keegan Bradley, #Long Putters, #Mike Davis, #R&A, #Tom Watson, #USGA

Jul

23

2012

Tipping point: R&A, USGA target long putters

By Conor Nagle under Equipment

Ernie Els’ Open Championship victory appears to have reinvigorated the debate surrounding the use of so-called “belly putters”.

Speaking in the wake of the South African’s victory at Royal Lytham, R&A chief executive Peter Dawson suggested the sport’s governing bodies were poised to take definitive action in the interest of resolving the long-running controversy.

25 Comments

#2012 Open Championship, #Adam Scott, #Belly Putter, #Belly Putters, #Ernie Els, #Keegan Bradley, #Long Putters, #Padraig Harrington, #Peter Dawson, #R&A, #USGA, #Webb Simpson

Feb

7

2012

Woot! Tiger Wants to Ban Belly Putters Too!

By Conor Nagle under PGA Tour

Tiger sizes up an old-fashioned putt at the 2010 US Open

Further to yesterday’s announcement of the USGA and R&A’s decision to reconsider the legality of putting techniques based on “anchoring” (ie. the bracing of the putter grip against the body), 14-time major champion Tiger Woods used his pre-tournament press conference at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am to join the lobby in favour of an outright ban.

37 Comments

#2012 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, #Belly Putters, #Bill Haas, #Keegan Bradley, #Rules controversy, #Tiger Woods

Feb

7

2012

USGA and R&A Unite to Take “Fresh Look” at Belly Putters

By Conor Nagle under Rules

Keegan Bradley's USPGA victory accelerated growth of the trend.

Yesterday’s announcement that golf’s governing bodies, the USGA and R&A, are actively considering the implementation of a rule outlawing “anchoring” (ie. the bracing of the golf club against the body during the swing/putting stroke) will come as a relief to those alarmed by the sudden prevalence of belly putters, at both professional and amateur levels.

5 Comments

#Belly Putters, #Keegan Bradley, #R&A, #Rules controversy, #USGA

Aug

24

2011

Phil’s Stance on Long Putters

By Stephanie Wei under Equipment

Mickelson: Oh no, not another four-footer!

Winners at the last three PGA Tour events have used non-traditional putters, renewing the debate on whether or not the USGA and R&A should ban them. Last Sunday Webb Simpson earned his first victory using a belly putter. The week before, rookie Keegan Bradley won the PGA Championship while also wielding a belly, making him the first to capture a major with a long putter. And the week prior to that, Adam Scott used a broomstick putter anchored to his chest to win the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

21 Comments

#2011 PGA Championship, #Adam Scott, #Belly Putters, #FedExCup playoffs, #Keegan Bradley, #Long Putters, #Luke Donald, #Phil Mickelson, #Plainfield, #The Barclays

Aug

22

2011

Sweet Maiden Victory for Webb Simpson (and Third Straight for Long Putters!)

By Stephanie Wei under PGA Tour

Wow, you look like a million bucks!

When players are tactfully asked why they’ve blown a tournament or had so many close calls, they usually respond with something like, “I just have to keep putting myself in contention and giving myself a good shot to win — it’ll happen.” How cliche! Well, depending on your luck, it materializes sooner rather than later.

For Webb Simpson, it came true pretty quickly. (Maybe the golfing gods were looking out for him after they basically screwed him over in New Orleans a few months ago — though it was for a good cause.)

5 Comments