Think very, very carefully before you act that is the message from PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem to golf’s ruling bodies.
The Royal and Ancient Club and United States Golf Association knew they would be upsetting lots of players, professional and amateur, when they proposed a ban on anchored putting strokes to come into effect in 2016.
But now they know they will also be upsetting the world’s biggest and richest tour if they go ahead with their plan to outlaw methods that in the last five majors have brought victories for Ernie Els, Webb Simpson and Keegan Bradley.
Just how serious the PGA Tour is in its opposition is clear not just from what Finchem said, but when he said it.
He went on television during the final of the Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona rather than waiting until it was over although you have to wonder if that would have happened if Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy had been playing rather than Matt Kuchar and Hunter Mahan.
Colin Montgomerie, commentating on Sky Sports, was positively aghast at the idea of the PGA Tour ignoring the ban and doing its own thing, although Finchem has not gone that far yet.
“The R&A and USGA have served the game of golf for a long, long time and long may that continue,” Montgomerie said.
“This has opened up a whole new can of worms. It’s a very dangerous situation we are getting ourselves into and I do hope they can sort this out very, very quickly.
“I thought, as we all did, that the rules of golf were set by the R&A and the USGA. Tim Finchem has obviously thought otherwise.
“Whether the European Tour think that or not has to be debated too.”
The European Tour has not sided with the PGA Tour so far, however, with chief executive George O’Grady telling Press Association Sport in November: “I would urge the Tour to follow the rules as laid down by the governing bodies.
“The view of our leading members and our players must be listened to, but I haven’t heard one of our members want to break away at the moment. They want to be connected to the game.”
Montgomerie added: “I think we should go with what the R&A and USGA feel. Whether the long putter should have been banned 20 years ago or not, it should be banned now.”
Finchem, though, has stated that, of his 15-strong player advisory council, all but two were opposed to the ban.
The R&A does not intend to respond to his comments until the 90-day period for all interested parties to air their views ends soon, but the USGA said in a statement: “It is our plan to take final action on the proposed rule in the spring.”
Finchem stated: “On this issue we think if they were to move forward they would be making a mistake.”