We know the geezers tour regulars are not thrilled that the top two players seem to almost-anchor their putters, and as their season opener nears, Golfweek's Eamon Lynch examines just how much joy this is bothering the senior set.
Last year's public issues with Bernhard Langer and Scott McCarron came from Golf Channel's Brandel Chamblee suggesting they were bending the rules.
“Brandel and I have been friends for a long time,” he says. “I’ve worked in the TV business. I know you say things sometimes you aren’t really sure about. And he usually does his homework. He’s very diligent. This time he missed the boat.”
If Chamblee did “miss the boat” with his comments, he has plenty of company on the dock. Rancor over the anchoring rule, and the success McCarron and Langer have enjoyed with their method, has shaken the senior set.
“It’s a huge issue,” says Tom Pernice Jr., a five-time winner on the PGA Tour Champions. “A lot of players aren’t going to say anything about it to the press. It’s not fair. If you’re playing for a living, there’s a skill level in putting and that is being able to control the fulcrum point.”
Yikes, glad we got that all sorted out last year!