Strong opposition against anchor ban

Last updated: 19th February 2013

According to reports in the American media, there is strong opposition to the proposed ban on anchored strokes following two meeting on the PGA Tour.

The reports claim that 80% of participants at a Player Advisory Council conference call voiced their displeasure by the ban the Royal and Ancient (R&A) and US Golf Association (USGA) proposed on the stroke associated with long and belly putters.

The governing bodies' proposed ban is set to take effect with the next printing of the Rules of Golf in 2016.

A source close to the USPGA Tour added that some members of the Tour's Policy Board hold the same views and that a letter addressed to the USGA is in the process of being drafted.

There are four players on the board as well - Paul Goydos, Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk, and Harrison Frazar - that are all opposed to the ban and the letter will express those sentiments and hopefully open the door to compromise.

While the PGA Tour and its Tim Finchem haven't yet provided no public guidance regarding the proposed ban, Finchem did say at the Farmers Insurance Open in January that the possibility of two sets of rules are possible: one for recreational players and one for elite amateurs and touring professionals.

According to players involved in both meeting, the bifurcation idea is gaining momentum, although Finchem admitted that he would prefer uniformity.

The PGA of America is also in the process of drafting another response against the ban after it delivered an initial document representing 27,00 players in December last year.

It is expected that the new letter will be similar in content to that of the Tour's and will ultimately show that the two associations are in agreement re the issue of anchoring.

When the period for comment has expired on February 28, the R&A and USGA will have to decide whether banning anchoring is worth having a complete schism in golf...