I continue to think that golf’s ruling bodies have just made the game a lot less accessible and enjoyable for lots of weekenders. But then again, public course weekenders and casual players are not the target audience of the USGA. Their focus continues to be high end championships and elite players.
I wonder … when was the last time a USGA president was a high handicap, public course player who works for wages—in other words, like the majority of golfers I know.
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I am watching more of the coverage on the change, and Mike Davis and others keep saying that they don’t want to biforcate the rules.
Of course, they completely ignore there is already a biforcation in the rules. The rules define Amateur and Professional. They define when an amateur can play and and what they must waive when playing in a professional tournament.
Then you have local rules for even a wider set of biforcation. The moronic rule at Whistling Straits would be harder to understand than just saying this rule about anchoring applies to professionals. There, done.
Davis talked about how this was a stigma. Make it that clear and you re-institute the stigma. The regular golfer with a mid to low handicap will avoid anchored putting like the plague unless they have no other choice.
I don’t have a problem with the changes, however I still think it’s about 25 years too late. This should have come in a long time ago before players started winning major championships.
Does this mean they are going to take away the major championships from players that have won using the long putters in recent years? I don’t think so!
I’ll be very interested to see what the likes of Adam Scott, Keegan Bradley and others do after this announcement.
Stay tuned
I fear that this ends up in court.
I also totally agree with Martin that the time for bifurcation is now. I see no problem with two sets of rules. Players who intend to play in competitions can make the adjustment.