Keegan Bradley fired the first shot in what could be a very interesting war this year between players who use long and belly putters and those who, well, would like them to go away.
Keegan Bradley
“I hate when people think that the belly putter is a crutch for us to putt with,” Bradley said this week at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions on Maui. “For me it’s just a better way to putt. “
Bradley, the 2011 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, won the 2011 PGA Championship with a belly putter.
“I always considered myself a good putter before I had a belly putter,” Bradley said. “I just putted better with a belly. With Webber (Simpson), he was known throughout his whole life as being one of the best putters, and he was just a little better with that.
“I know I’ve seen guys grab it and it looks like they’ve never played golf before. It’s not like it’s something you grab it and you automatically are one of the best putters on Tour, which is a huge myth. I hate the negative press it gets because it’s not some magic thing that you grab and you can just the first week out you win. It takes hours and hours of practice, and I hope people realize that.”
