Pros consider legal action

Last updated: 7th November 2012

Some professional golfers are considering possible legal action if the USPGA and R&A ban the anchoring of the long and belly putter.

Swedish pro Carl Pettersson - a regular on the PGA Tour - told The Independent that he would be willing to take part in any legal action if the expected ban takes place.

"I will support legal action as it affects my career and everyone else's career who uses the putter," Pettersson told the publication.

"I have used the belly putter for 16 years, since I was a junior, and if they did ban it I feel I would be 16 years behind everyone else who is practicing with a short putter."

Although it is expected that the rule change will happen, representatives from the governing bodies have met with some pros from both the PGA Tour as well as the European Tour to discuss the matter.

Australian Adam Scott also commented in a magazine interview that he felt resentment from some of his peers after switching to the broomstick putter last year.

"I think some people definitely have a problem with guys putting with a belly putter or a long putter," he told Golf magazine.

"That's because they haven't putted well with it, or they haven't tried it.

"That's part of my argument-it's still a learned skill.

"It's not like you just pick it up and make putts.

"You have to learn how to use it."

Despite Scott's "gut feeling" that the rule will be changed, he doesn't feel that switching back to a normal putter would have much of an adverse effect.

"I don't believe it would be a hard thing for me to go back to the short putter.

"I could do it this week, and I think I would putt better than I did in 2010 and 2009.

"The long putter has taught me how to putt again."