McIlroy calls for unity

Last updated: 27th February 2013

World number one Rory McIlroy believes that the divide being caused by the debate over anchored putters is hurting the game.

Golf's governing bodies, the R&A and USGA, announced last year that they would be seeking to make chances to the rules of golf at the next possible opportunity to outlaw the use of belly putters.

However, US PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem last week said the the Tour was not in favour of the ban.

With opinions of both players and administrators divided, McIlroy feels that everyone needs to get on the same page for the good of the game.

"I saw what (PGA Tour commissioner)Tim Finchem had to say and it seems like the European Tour is going to go a different way," he said.

"I read a thing Monty (Colin Montgomerie) said that this divide isn't good for golf and I don't think it is. We either need to all be on one side or the other.

"It's up to the governing bodies at the end of the day to decide. I sort of think it was a bit of a knee-jerk reaction to how much success people were having with it (players using long putters have won three of the last five majors).

"I'm all for people enjoying the game and trying to make the game as easy as possible and bringing people to the game, and if that means they should allow anchored putters to make it easier for the general public then that's a good thing.

"But then they talk about bifurcation, whether you should have one set of rules for us and one set for the amateurs and it's just a bit of a mess and opened a can of worms."

The Northern Irishman added that he wasn't too concerned which way the ruling went, as long as it was done in the proper manner.

"If it were up to me, whatever decision the USGA comes to, maybe the pressure the PGA Tour has put on them, they might change their minds and rethink about it, and if they do that it's totally fine with me," he added.

In saying that, the 23-year-old believes that it was perhaps wrong for the US PGA to voice their objection.

"We have put the game of golf in the hands of the R&A and USGA for I don't know how many years and have always abided by the rules that they've set and I don't think there should be any difference," he said.