Belly Putters In Golf Are Not PEDs

Sometimes, rabid sports fans here in America like to take everything too far. Case in point, with the United States Golf Association (USGA), and the Royal and Ancients (R&A) proposing a ban on the anchored putting stroke at the beginning of the 2016 season, some sports fans are questioning the validity of  major championships won with the long stick.

[Reference Heckling Hits a Lame New Low This Week as Keegan Bradley Called a “Cheater” written by Joshua Herb of Rant Sports]

Come on folks, anchored putters are NOT Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs). We don’t need to invalidate wins, or add asterisks to record books for Keegan Bradley, winner of the 2011 PGA Championship, or Webb Simpson, who won the 2012 US Open because they used a belly putter anchored to their chest to win these championships. This isn’t Major League Baseball.

The problem arises from the the governing bodies not having the go-nads to stop this trend that started back in the 80’s. Most of the older golfers have been on record saying that they were perplexed that no one put a stop to the anchored stroke when people started using it. If it provides such an advantage, why has it taken 30 years for someone to win a major tournament using it. Now,  a third of a century later, they have decided to look into, and correct the problem.

It’s time for fans to chill out, and get off of these peoples back. You have to know that between now and the time the powers to be, make the decision, all contestants using the proposed illegal stroke will be interviewed and scrutinized to the nth degree. We will hear questions in every post tournament press conferences when someone with a long putter wins a golf tournament.

I consistently follow all of the world tours by reading news and blogs from every corner of the planet, and the only place where everyone is blowing this thing out of proportion is right here in the good old USA. The world golf community is keeping up with the upcoming ruling, but there doesn’t seem to be the need to chastise players currently using anchored putters.

Let’s get off these players back, and let them go ahead with making a living. If the rule is changed, they will adapt to the new rules, or leave the game. We don’t need to, as fans, make the situation worse. Let Um Play Golf !

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