l
IN THE NEWS x BY THE RULES
OB SPORTS GOLF & LEISURE
x
WINTER 2016
x
obsports.com
T
he anchor has been dropped, and
soon the waves will follow.
Beginning January 1, a new rule
banning anchored putting strokes went
into effect: specifically, Rule 14-1b, which
the USGA and R&A jointly enacted to try
to curtail the use of longer-shafted put-
ters that have become more fashionable
and successful in recent years.
Golf's governing bodies could not ban
the "belly" and "broomstick-handle"
putters wielded by recent major
championship winners Keegan
Bradley, Webb Simpson, Ernie
Els and Adam Scott, so they
decided to outlaw the strokes
in which golfers anchor the
butt end of their long putters to
their stomach, chest or chin so as to
create a pendulum motion.
Interestingly, the use of such uncon-
ventional putters dates back to 1965,
when the first patent for the belly putter
was approved and one year before Phil
Rodgers won twice on the PGA Tour
with a 39-and-a-half inch putter an-
chored in his gut. Until now, anchored
putting strokes have always been legal
and used prominently over the past 30
years by tour pros such as Bernhard
Langer, Rocco Mediate, Paul Azinger,
Bruce Lietzke, Scott McCarron, Tim
Clark and Carl Pettersson.
The most successful has been Langer,
58, who went to the broomstick-handle
putter in the late 1990s while battling the
"yips" and who has won three Champi-
ons Tour season titles, seven money titles
and 23 Champions events since 2008.
In addition to the anchored putting
ban, there are three other significant rule
changes taking effect in the new year:
>> Rule 6-6d: A limited exception to
disqualification penalty for submission
of incorrect score card.
>> Rule 18-2b: A withdrawal of the
rule on a ball moving after address.
>> Rule 14-3: A modification of
penalty for a single impermissible use
of artificial devices or equipment.
ANCHORS AWAY
n rule will alter strokes with long putters BY randY Youngman
CLICK
HERE TO
SEE THE NEW
RULES FOR
2016
