Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee called anchoring on the PGA Tour Champions as "appalling", saying he had "never seen such a gross disregard of the spirit of the game"
Anchoring Debate Erupts On Champions Tour
The US Senior Open concluded at the weekend, with Kenny Perry sealing his fourth Senior Major with a two stoke victory over Kirk Triplett at Salem County Club in Massachusetts.
However, the main talking point was golf’s anchoring ban, and specifically how PGA Tour Champions superstar Bernhard Langer and 2016 Senior Open winner Scott McCarron may have been breaching it.
Golf’s governing bodies banned anchoring in 2016, meaning the putter could not come into contact with the body during the stroke.
Related: Why they banned anchoring
Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee wrote on twitter during the Senior Open: “With regard to the anchoring ban on the PGA Tour Champions,it’s appalling,I have never seen such gross disregard for the spirit of the game.”
Langer was not mentioned in Chamblee’s tweets, and he may have also been referring to American Scott McCarron who uses a long putter.
2016 Senior Open Champion Scott McCarron. (Photo by Michael Cohen/Getty Images)
Two-time major winner and Champions Tour player John Daly got in on the conversation, tweeting: “I’ve always said putter shouldn’t be 2” longer than ur belly. Now #ruleistoovague It’s the consciousness of the player to do the rt thing!”
Related: Sky Sports’ Wayne Riley on the anchored putter
Langer reportedly met with USGA officials over the weekend, and told the media: “They brought it to my attention, but they said it was totally within the rules.
“For people to be complaining, they often don’t know what they are talking about.”
Attention @USGA – Rules violation (14-1 b) on Hole 14 of #USSeniorOpen by @BernhardLanger6 #Anchoring #DJ #Lexi pic.twitter.com/UaAlGmydYq
— Matthew Mollica (@MattMollica) July 1, 2017
A user tweeted this picture of Langer, with another commenting that he only does this on his practice strokes.
Another user defended Langer, tweeting: “If you watched the Sr Open today, he’s clearly not anchoring. That left hand was moving all over the place.”
Either way, the anchoring rule could be seen as vague.
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