Masters chairman expected to weigh in on anchored putting

Major championship winner Keegan Bradley will be one of the interested parties waiting to hear what Billy Payne has to say about anchoring putters Wednesday morning.

Payne, the chairman of Au­gus­ta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament, is expected to weigh in on the U.S. Golf Association and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club’s proposal to ban anchoring beginning Jan. 1, 2016.

Anchoring is a style of putting where a long-shafted putter is “anchored” against the body by the golfer while making a stroke.

Payne’s annual “State of the Mas­ters” news conference starts at 11 a.m. in the club’s media center, and anchoring is sure to come up early.

“Yes, of course I’m interested in what Augusta National has to say,” Bradley said this week. “I’m going to try to play golf and not worry about it. … I’m sure whatever side they favor they have their reasons why, and I respect that.”

Bradley (2011 PGA Cham­pion­ship), Webb Simpson (2012 U.S. Open) and Ernie Els (2012 Bri­tish Open) won major championships while anchoring, meaning three of the past five major champions have used that style. The Masters is the only major that hasn’t been won using an anchored stroke. Adam Scott has come the closest, tying for second in 2011.

The USGA wants to reverse the trend toward anchored strokes and “preserve the traditional golf stroke,” it said in a statement announcing the proposed change.

The PGA Tour and PGA of America are against the proposed ban.

Augusta National has not taken a position, saying Payne would discuss it during his news conference Wednesday. Traditionally, Au­gus­ta National sides with the USGA and R&A when it comes to rules issues.

Scott, one of the top players without a major championship, has had a resurgence since going to the belly putter in early 2011. He has been a vocal critic of the proposed ban.

“I have some concern over that, because I believe they are making a mistake and that’s been well documented, I guess,” Scott said Tuesday. “But, hey, they (the USGA and R&A) are going to do what they are going to do, I guess, and we’ll see how the other powers that be respond to that.”

The controversy has brought up talk of bifurcation – separate rules for amateurs and pros. In this case, anchoring would be banned for pros but not for amateurs.

“To have that happen over anchoring or a putter sets a really bad precedent,” Jack Nicklaus said of introducing bifurcation. “I hope that doesn’t happen. They (the PGA) made an objection. If the USGA and R&A say, ‘No, we’re going to go forward with it,’ I hope the (PGA) tour says, ‘OK, we’ve always played by USGA rules. We will continue to play by USGA rules.’

“Frankly, I don’t have an opinion one way or another about it,” Nicklaus said. “I’ve tried it; I couldn’t figure out anything that made any difference to me. Does it look a little odd? Yeah. Is it a golf stroke? I don’t know. They would be better to define a golf stroke than I would, so I’ll let them define the golf stroke.”

Arnold Palmer made his position clear three weeks ago at his Arnold Palmer In­vita­tional. He said he was not in favor of “contraptions” such as belly putters, long putters and anchored strokes,

He also said there should be one set of rules for all golfers.

“I think one of the reasons that golf has progressed in the way that it has over the years is the fact that the amateurs and the pros all play the same game and play under the same set of rules,” he said. “It may be the key to the future success of the game of golf.”