PGA Prez: USGA Needs An Anchoring Condition Of Competition

In his latest column, PGA President Ted Bishop makes his case again against the anchoring ban.

Bishop is recommending a 12th condition of competition to allow leeway in the rules for anchoring if the governing bodies refuse to back down.

I maintain that the USGA and R&A have underestimated the ramifications a rule change banning anchoring. In my opinion, the next best thing to no ban would be the creation of a 12th condition of competition in USGA rules that deals with anchoring. Presently, the four major championships are not uniform to applying four conditions of competition (for example, the one-ball rule, practice putting at hole last played, embedded ball rule and removal of stones in bunkers are handled differently in the majors).

This way every stakeholder walks away with what they want and everybody plays by the same set of rules. Davis, though, disagrees with the idea saying the USGA doesn’t believe in such conditions for “real fundamental rules.”

Politically, I wonder if the PGA of America had started with this as their position if it would have allowed for more dialogue in hammering out a happier outcome to this battle. What that solution would be, I have no idea.