PGA of America President Ted Bishop
PGA of America President Ted Bishop said today his organization is “disappointed” the USGA and R&A are going to ban the anchored stoke in 2016. The ban, as detailed in Rule 14- 1b, is directed at players who connect belly putters and long putters to come parts of the their bodies.
“Over the past few months The PGA of America has taken a vocal and active position which reflected the strong viewpoint of our PGA Professionals in opposing the USGA and R&A’s proposed Rule 14-1b that would ban the anchored stroke,” Bishop said. “We are disappointed with this outcome. As we have said publicly and repeatedly during the comment period, we do not believe 14-1b is in the best interest of
recreational golfers and we are concerned about the negative impact it may have on both the enjoyment and growth of the game. Growing the game is one of the fundamental purposes of The PGA of America.
“Although we do not agree with the decision, we applaud the USGA for its willingness to listen to our concerns and engage in meaningful discussions. In our opinion and based on our experience, the USGA treated the comment period for what it was intended to be – a time to exchange opinions, concerns and potential solutions.
Bishop, probably the most outspoken PGA president in its history, said the PGA “will digest” the USGA and R&A’s decision to proceed with Rule 14-1b and discuss the matter with its Board of Directors, PGA Sections and its 27,000 professionals throughout the country.
“Our Board will convene in late June during our PGA Professional National Championship and at that time, we will decide how best to proceed. In addition, we will continue to confer with the PGA Tour as they similarly digest this information.”
