The Back Nine - Feherty Calls For Governing Bodies to Give Up Control

Feherty Calls For USGA and R&A to Let the Pro's Get it Right

Updated: Mon 7/23/2012 2:14 pm

David Feherty, golf's funnyman and co-host of Golf Channel's Morning Drive today, is calling for the USGA and R&A to let the Professionals get it right.

Host of Morning Drive, Gary Williams, along with Feherty were interviewing Ron Sirak when the topic of anchored putters came up. Sirak spoke about the comments Peter Dawson made at the Open Championship about a potential decision to come from the R&A and USGA sooner rather than later.

Feherty commented, "It's time the professional tours of the world start making the rules for professional golf. We're the only professional sport to let the Amateur bodies do it for us." He went on to say, "We have a 700 page decisions booklet on 36 or something rules, it ridiculous. It could be simplified or modified for the men playing golf for a living and let the amateurs do what they want."

A lot of people are frustrated in the USGA and R&A and specifically how they've handled, or better yet, not handled the issue of the long putter. Some believe it provides an advantage and isn't true to the spirit and intentions of the rules of golf. Others will tell you its not as easy as you think to make putts with the long putter or belly putter.

But recent performance by players using putters anchored to their bodies, specifically in major championships, has caused traditionalists to challenge their place in the game. The run of victories really started with Adam Scott at Memorial a few years ago and then Keegan Bradley went on to become the first major champion to sport an anchored putter. Webb Simpson followed in Keegan's path with a win at this year's US Open. While Ernie Els did use a longer than standard putter this week at the Open Championship, he was not anchoring it to his body. The Open runner-up however could be the poster child for the benefits of the longer putter.

Adam Scott in a post round press conference spoke about the benefits he feels the longer putter provides. "It's brought more consistency to my putting. My putting with a short putter was hot and cold. Before I switched it was more often cold than hot so very frustrating to play well and get nothing out of a round. So making the adjustment to putt with a long putter took a little time, but was effective once I brought it out on tour. I feel I putt much more consistent with it which has a positive effect on the rest of my game."

So all that being said regarding the decision before the USGA and R&A, does Feherty have a point as it relates to the Professional Tours handling their own rules and letting the amateur bodies govern the amateurs and only the amateurs? I'd like to get your thoughts on this topic so visit The Back Nine Facebook Page and join the discussion.