Steve Stricker admits that he started out as a proponent of banning the anchoring of clubs, specifically putters, against the body, but has come around a bit in his thinking. Nevertheless, Stricker said at this week’s Accenture Match Play Championship, the USGA’s timing on its proposed ban “is poor.”
Steve Stricker
“We’re at a point in time in the game of golf that we’re trying to keep players, lure players into playing the game, and we all feel‑‑ a majority of the players feel – that it only puts a negative spin on that, maybe detracts the local guy, the club member, the public player, whoever, from playing at times,” Stricker said.
Stricker added that he can see the PGA Tour making its rule in allowing anchoring even if the USGA goes ahead with its proposal to ban anchoring, which wouldn’t take effect until 2016.
“We have probably a couple other rules out here on our hard card that are different from USGA rules, too, and this wouldn’t be any different, I guess.”
The PGA Tour’s 16-member Player Advisory Council, of which Stricker is not one, met earlier this week on the proposed ban. Reports have been mixed as to the majority opinion, but according to Stricker, there is no indication from the PAC or Commissioner Tim Finchem as to what the Tour might decide.
“I know where the majority of the players stand, it sounds like, from yesterday’s call,” Stricker said.
By most accounts, the majority of the PAC members are in favor of opposing the ban.
“I know that they’re drafting up a letter to send to the USGA and the R&A to kind of voice our position as a Tour,” Stricker said. “But after that, we still don’t know where it’s going to lead us to, and it’s going to be interesting.”
