TORONTO – Two of golf’s governing bodies announced Tuesday that players will no longer be allowed to anchor their clubs to their bodies when making a stroke starting Jan. 1, 2016.
The United States Golf Association (USGA) and the R&A – the USGA’s European counterpart– approved Rule 14-1b which means that players who use a “belly putter” or “long putter” will no longer be able to hold the end of the club against their bodies while making a stroke.
The “belly putter” or “anchored putter” has been become popular among several top PGA players, with four of the last six championships going to players who use the anchored putter, most recently Masters champion Adam Scott.
According to the new rule the clubs will still be allowed provided they are not anchored against a player’s body.
The USGA and the R&A first proposed the new rule in November 2012 before allowing a 90-day feedback period.
“Having considered all of the input that we received, both before and after the proposed Rule was announced, our best judgment is that Rule 14-1b is necessary to preserve one of the important traditions and challenges of the game – that the player freely swing the entire club,” said USGA President Glen D. Nager in a press release.
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“The new Rule upholds the essential nature of the traditional method of stroke and eliminates the possible advantage that anchoring provides, ensuring that players of all skill levels face the same challenge inherent in the game of golf.”
Several opponents of the rule have voiced their concerns including PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem who in Feb. 2013 suggested there wasn’t enough evidence to demonstrate anchoring gives players an advantage.
Tuesday the PGA tour released a statement saying “we will now begin our process to ascertain whether the various provisions of Rule 14-1b will be implemented in our competitions and, if so, examine the process for implementation.”
The PGA of Canada has also taken a strong stance against the rule worrying that it could hurt the game for amateur players.
Schubert is worried that the thousands of amateur players who use an anchored putter might feel like they will be labeled a cheater and could leave the game.
Rule 14-1b will take effect as part of the Rules of Golf on January 1, 2016, at the beginning of the next four-year Rules cycle.
Schubert said that some players who use the anchored putter like Tim Clark and Scott Webb have started experimenting with a short putter, but what effect the new rule will have remains unclear.
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