The Golf Blog: Does USGA proposed ban on anchored belly putting help Tiger Woods’ quest to beat Nicklaus’ record?
The Golf Blog says: The USGA and R&A issued a proposed rule change for 2016 that would ban anchored putting–e.g., the long putter and belly putters. The proposed Rule 14-1b will prohibit “strokes made with the club or a hand gripping the club held directly against the player’s body, or with a forearm held against the body to establish an anchor point that indirectly anchors the club.” There is a period of comment on the proposed rule change–so interested parties can file their opinions–before the rule is finally approved.
In 2016, Tiger Woods will be 40 years old. He still is tied with Jack Nicklaus’s pace of winning 18 majors, but he needs to get ahead of that pace if he wants to set the all-time record. Because the rule change won’t go into effect until 2016, it may not have as big an impact on Tiger’s quest for the major mark. Three of the last 5 majors winners have won with belly putters (Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson, and Ernie Els). Rory McIlroy uses a conventional putter, but many more younger golfers are using the belly putter. Tiger, of course, uses a conventional putter, and he is against players using the belly putter. Some anecdotal evidence does suggest that the belly putter helps to reduce strokes especially on Sunday, when the most pressure is on. By banning the belly putter, some of the younger guns like Bradley and Simpson (and Bill Haas), and the older Adam Scott (who almost won the British) may end up losing one or two strokes here and there. The ban will definitely hurt those players who have been so accustomed to the belly putter and done so well with it. And it may help Tiger Woods in his quest to beat Jack’s record in the process.
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