One Shot at a Time: March 14, 2013
PGA of America leaders from all over the United States
convened on Tuesday of this week at Port St. Lucie, FL for the annual PGA
Conference of Leaders. All 41 PGA Sections were represented. The group of 235
people also included Past PGA Presidents, current Board of Directors and National
Officers with many PGA Staff members also in attendance. The conference was
also streamed live on PGALinks.com for all 27,000 of our men and women members
to see.
It was the first official gathering of the PGA of America since
our Annual Meeting at Baltimore in early November. As President, I was joined
by my fellow Officers, Derek Sprague, Vice President and Paul Levy, Secretary
along with Pete Bevacqua, CEO; Darrell Crall, COO and Kerry Haigh, CCO in an update
of our “First 100 Days” as the new leadership team. I presented a review of the
work done by our Committees and the direction set by the Board in February. The
Education and Membership Committees gave presentations which were pertinent to
issues facing all members. There was also an active discussion on Section
Engagement from the Executive Directors’ Committee.
At the end of the day, we conducted an Open Forum and it was
no surprise that the anchoring topic dominated the discussion. Over 80 minutes
of the scheduled 90-minute session was devoted to hearing thoughts from PGA
members from all over the U.S. on this controversial topic. The meeting on
Tuesday marked the first time that the PGA of America’s delegation had convened
since the proposed ban on anchoring (Rule 14-1b) had been introduced by the
USGA and R&A on November 28, 2012.
My suspicions were confirmed at Tuesday’s Open Forum. PGA
members are extremely opposed to the ban on anchoring and the level of
discontent is far greater than the 63% which opposed the ban last Thanksgiving
when a survey was done by the PGA. A
straw poll was conducted on Tuesday and there was not one single hand that went
in the air to support the proposed ban of the long putter by the USGA and
R&A from the over 200 in attendance.
During the Open Forum, I gave a brief presentation to our PGA
members on Local Rules and Conditions of Competition as defined by the Rules of
Golf. The reason for doing this was to insure that our Section leaders were
clear on their understanding that if the proposed ban is implemented, PGA
professionals and their facilities will not have the ability to impose a local
rule or a condition of competition allowing anchoring without it being a direct
violation of the Rules of Golf. This
would be bifurcation of the Rules in its purest sense.
The USGA and R&A do have the ability to create a new
condition of competition pertaining to anchoring within the Rules of Golf. This
would allow competitions and facilities to have the option to adopt the
condition of competition. By doing this, bifurcation in terms of anchoring
would not be an issue allowing everyone to play by one set of Rules. If this
would happen, there is a distinct possibility that PGA TOUR events and even the
major championships would treat anchoring differently, but that is not
unprecedented.
Currently, there are four Conditions of Competition in the
Rules of Golf that are adopted differently by the four major championships. In
the case of the One Ball Rule, the PGA Championship does not accept it while
the other three majors do. On Practice Putting at the Hole Last Played, the
U.S. Open allows it while the other three do not. The Embedded Ball Rule
through the Green is not in effect for at the British Open and it is in the
other three. Finally, the British Open allows players to move Stones in Bunkers
while the other three majors do not.
PGA professionals spoke clearly and concisely during the
Open Forum echoing their concerns on how the proposed ban will affect their
ability to administer the game at the local level. There was discussion about
the politics and inconsistency that will surface around the country if PGA professionals
are mandated by their boards, men’s and women’s associations, or players to
allow anchoring for the enjoyment of recreational amateurs. Bifurcation seems
destined if Rule 14-1b is implemented.
However, there has been widespread speculation that if the
proposed anchoring ban is implemented by the USGA and R&A that the PGA TOUR
might adopt in its own set of rules which will allow anchoring. The question
was then posed to PGA members in the Open Forum, which rules would you follow?
Those adopted by the USGA, banning anchoring, or a set of PGA Rules, which
might permit it? Less than a dozen in attendance indicated support of USGA
Rules and well over 200 indicated support of what could be PGA Rules.
This could be ground breaking territory for the game of golf,
particularly in this country. Since 1894, the USGA has governed the game here. During
the Open Forum the question was asked if the USGA and R&A would ever adopt
different stances on the proposed rule change. It’s highly doubtful this would
happen.
The PGA of Canada recently surveyed its membership and
approximately 33% responded with nearly 65% opposing the proposed ban on
anchoring. The PGA of Canada has sent a letter to the R&A and the USGA
expressing the opinions of its members. I have also had conversations with
Shizuo Mori, the Chairman of the PGA of Japan. He indicates that while there is
nothing official yet, he agrees more with the position of the PGA of America
and the PGA TOUR. Japan and Canada both are governed by the R&A.
A week ago, the European Tour issued a statement in support
of the proposed ban. Some would say that this was a reversal of positions based
on earlier comments by the European Tour that “there was no compelling reason
to change the Rule at this time.” The Sunshine Tour, located in South Africa,
also supports the ban.
The line in the sand seems to be the Atlantic Ocean. Golf bodies
west of the Atlantic are agitated by the proposed anchoring ban. Those East of
the Atlantic seem more inclined to follow the authority of the rules makers. As
Michael Bamberger from Sport Illustrated pointed out to me, Americans always
seem to be more inclined to challenge authority than their European
counterparts. History has proven that.
The PGA TOUR recently acquired the Darrell Survey Data from
2009 to present as it relates to usage numbers of mid-length and long putters
at all official PGA TOUR events. In assessing this date, the TOUR has cross-referenced
the number of players using these clubs per event (of whom almost all are
presumably anchoring) with field size, identifying a percentage of use at each
event.
From 2009 through much of 2011 between 5-10% of the fields
anchored. From late 2011 to early 2012, there was a significant spike in usage
where the TOUR saw 15-25% of the field using these clubs. However, following
the end of the West Coast PGA TOUR events in the early spring of 2012, usage
begins to drop and we see a continuing downward trend that appears to be
approaching the previous levels of 2009-2011.
Certainly another issue facing PGA members is at the
recreational level. We have serious concerns on how the ban on anchoring could
affect the enjoyment of the game by our amateur customers. Over the past few
months, I have received dozens of letters from concerned amateurs who look to
the PGA of America to stand up and protect their interests. These people are
discouraged and frustrated that an anchoring ban will be imposed after they
adopted a previously legal method of putting. Most indicate they will play less
golf or quit. The game cannot afford this.
One member actually went to the microphone and asked that in
the event there were two sets of Rules in the U.S. would the PGA of America
ever consider getting into the business of handicaps? That topic was tabled
pending the outcome of the anchoring issue.
When Tuesday’s Open Forum was concluded, it was apparent to
me as President of the largest working sports organization in the world that
our membership is united on this issue concerning the ban on the anchored
stroke. We feel the USGA and R&A have underestimated the impact and
ramifications that Rule 14-1b will have on the overall state of the game. It
has become one of the most divisive issues that modern day golf has seen. All
of these controversial issues will dissipate if the proposed ban is dropped.
The PGA of America feels that there is no logical reason to
proceed with Rule 14-1b. On behalf of the 27,000 men and women of the PGA of
America and the amateurs that we represent, we have made our opinions public to
golf’s governing bodies. Tuesday’s Conference of Leaders was an absolute
confirmation that PGA members are aligned in solidarity on this issue.
Your views on this subject are poor.
ReplyDeleteTed, Just to correct your comment regarding Japan and Canada being governed by The R&A, this is not true. While Japan and every country in the world other than United States and Mexico do come under the jurisdiction of The R&A, Canada does not. Canada is self-governed. As such, the PGA of Canada comes under the jurisdiction of Golf Canada, formerly the Royal Canadian Golf Association. And, for the record, along with the USGA and R&A, Golf Canada is also proposing a ban on anchoring beginning on January 1, 2016.
ReplyDeleteAs a PGA member, I strongly disagree with your stance on anchoring and the presumption that all PGA members agree with it. In addition, I believe you have pitted the PGA against the USGA & R&A which will only be a negative regardless of the outcome. The PGA should support the role and responsibility of the USGA to write the Rules.
ReplyDeleteThis topic has gotten way off point. The real question is whether or not anchoring the club should be considered a stroke. It should not, plain and simple. Every other point in any and all discussions is a distraction, and irrelevant. Check out this great article: http://golfcanada.ca/professional-tours/golf-news/?articleId=8879132
ReplyDeleteAre you exhibit A for the argument that the "P" in "GA" means "parochial" rather than "professional"? That is, how can the PGA be viewed as anything other than another self-interest group when its president abandons the merits of an argument in exchange for touting non-confidential straw poll results, engaging in a bit of old fashioned xenephoby and making irrelevant comments regarding the R&A's handling of all-male golf clubs? You're definitely going to get bifurcation with this approach -- i.e., the core of golf is going to reject the PGA as a serious commentator on the game.
ReplyDelete