Padraig Fears Anchorers Will Try To Sink A Distance Rollback

Brian Keogh quotes Padraig Harrington at length and it's all interesting, but the standout stuff in the context of anchoring, grooves, the distance debate and rules.

But given the opposition by the PGA Tour (and the PGA of America) to the proposed addition to Rule 14-1, he fears that “a very small minority of golfers in the world” could wield enough power to effectively render the R&A and the USGA “sterile” and prevent the ruling bodies from implementing plans to reign in the golf ball and hot drivers.

I think we can put Padraig down for a yes in the roll-back-distance category!

And on pros making the rules:

“Look, the [PGA] Tour represents a very small minority of golfers in the world but they do have a big influence. They are like a big lobbyist in Washington and they have a big say in the matter but ultimately, if professional golfers were to decide the rules of golf we would get free drops out of divots and we would be able to tap down spike marks.

“We are not there to govern the rules. That is the way it is. It is obvious that this is a controversial issue and if the putter is banned, the controversy will go away. Just like the grooves. I can’t see how it is any different to the groove rule.”