In the wake of wins by Adam Scott and Keegan Bradley there is renewed scrutiny over the validity of using long-handled or belly putters.

Scott wielded a ‘broomstick’ putter in capturing the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and a week before Bradley won the PGA Championship in Atlanta.

Bradley was competing in his fist Major Championship and also became the first player in the history of the game to win a Major using a belly or unconventional length putter.

Not only has the unconventional clubs helped Scott and Bradley but it resurrected the careers of the likes of Vijay Singh, Bernhard Langer and Colin Montgomerie.

South African Trevor Immelman sung the praise of the belly putter in defeating Padraig Harrington to capture 2004 Deutsche Bank – TPC of Europe title in Germany.

That same year golf’s ruling bodies, the R & A and the USGA, discussed the legality of the putter but decided against any change and indicating they did not want to restrict the use of the club to those older players struggling with back injury.

Scotland’s Sam Torrance was the first player to use a long-handled putter in tour competition.

And Torrance used the non-conventional putter to enormous success capturing 22 events on the European Tour from 1976 to 1998, and 11 events on the European Senior Tour since turning 50 in 2003.

Torrance believes the only way the R & A could restrict the use of the putter is ban players from anchoring the club under their chin or tucked into their stomach.

“The problem the R & A had with the putter when I was playing on the Tour was the terminology,” said Torrance after carding a level par 72 on day one of the Scottish Senior title at St. Andrews Bay.

“If they ever did ban the club it would be stopping players attaching the club to their body, and I would tend to agree with that as I hold my putter out from my body.”

However legendary Irishman Des Smyth has been wielding a long-handled putter for more than 10-years but believes golf ruling bodies will now be hard-pressed banning the controversial club.

“It was only a matter of time before someone would use a long-handled or belly putter to win a Major,” said Smyth after carding a two-under par 70..

“What is surprising is that it took so long.