Adam On Moving The Putter A Millimeter Away, Putting On The Green Jacket Every Day

Jim Tucker focuses on Adam Scott's new morning routine at home of waking up and putting on the green jacket.

Bob Harig on Scott's first press conference since the Masters, where the Masters champ budged a bit on anchoring in the future. A few millimeters to be exact.

In the interest of context, Scott's anchoring remarks in their entirety:

Q.  Are you going to be relieved in any way when the USGA and R&A make their final decision on anchoring maybe just to get the debate out of the way?  And if they do ban it and the TOUR goes along with it, do you have a backup plan for three years down the road to working a conventional putting method into your practice?

ADAM SCOTT:  I think, yeah, I think I'll be relieved when it's all over and we can all get beyond it.  I may or may not like the outcome of that, but I think we've all spent enough energy on it now, doing what they're doing.

No, I don't really have a backup plan.  I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing and deal with it then.  I don't think there will be anything much for me to change.  If I have to separate the putter a millimeter from my chest, then I'll do that.

Q.  Will three years be enough time to prepare?

ADAM SCOTT:  Yeah, tomorrow is enough time for me.  I don't see myself putting any different looks‑wise.  My hand will be slightly off my chest, probably.

Trevino After Switching To Belly Putter: “Now I see why they want to make this one illegal”

Adam Schupak, with several interesting notes related to the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf, talked to Lee Trevino about getting the yips and switching to a belly putter for round two with partner Mike Hill:

“I had the yips so badly with that little putter yesterday that I thought I had bleeding ulcers,” he said. “My belly was burning up so much that I thought I had eaten some jalapeno peppers.”

Still feeling the competitive tug of golf, Trevino put a TaylorMade Ghost belly putter in the bag for the final round and afterwards stressed that his putting was vastly improved.

“Now I see why they want to make this one illegal,” Trevino said. “It’s like cheating. I swear to God. This is the easiest thing I’ve ever seen to putt with, is that belly putter.”

And this about leading Champions Tour player Bernhard Langer:

“There’s no question he wouldn’t be playing like he is if it wasn’t for the long putter,” Trevino said. “It takes all the pressure out.”

Poll: Does Adam Scott's win alter your view of the proposed anchoring ban?

We've soaked up the good vibes of Adam Scott's win and will continue to enjoy the dramatics that closed out the 2013 Masters. 

However...

Scott's win means all four majors have now been won by an anchorer and four of the last six majors have been won by anchorers. Hank Gola made the point that this was "pure coincidence," no different than a string of lefthanders winning. I'm not sure I buy that one.

Garry Smits lays out the status of the proposed ban after Billy Payne took a pass on an Augusta National stance. He also points out the pesky numbers which suggest Scott still isn't that great of a putter, despite what we saw Sunday.

The raw numbers say his long putter didn’t matter. Scott was 39th in putting among the field, averaging 1.67 putts per green in regulation, the major putting stat used at Augusta National. That put him in the bottom half of the players who made the cut.

So I know this isn't the cleanest question or tightest answer option, but here goes:

Does Adam Scott's win alter your view of the proposed anchoring ban?
	No, I remain IN FAVOR of the ban
	No, I remain AGAINST the ban
	Yes, more proof there's an advantage & needs to go
	Yes, the ban is unfair to players who've invested time in anchoring
pollcode.com free polls

Chairman Payne: "We hope and believe that they can reach common ground so that golf will continue under one set of rules."

The press room consensus felt Masters Chairman Billy Payne's Wednesday comments on the proposed anchoring ban sealed the deal for the governing bodies. I did not read them that way and a few of my colleagues were equally hung up on the words "common ground."

Golf Channel's Randall Mell summarizes the anchoring portion of the proceedings here.

The questions and comments, starting with Scott Michaux's question:

Q.  Mr. Chairman, there was a long comment period from the USGA and the R&A about the anchored putting situation that didn't include this press conference in that time period, but everybody else, all of the other governing bodies and associations have sort of expressed their opinions.  What is the Club's opinion on the anchored putting?

CHAIRMAN PAYNE:  First, Scott, we are not a governing body.  We are a golf club that puts on a tournament, so we wouldn't be presumptuous to say that we have that kind of influence.

Given the fact that the ruling bodies have not yet declared a decision following that open comment period, I do think it would be inappropriate for us to express an opinion; other than to say, other than to say, that we hope and believe that they can reach common ground so that golf will continue under one set of rules.

And my attempt at a follow up:

Q.  Mr. Chairman, you said it would be inappropriate to comment on the anchoring, the proposed anchoring ban.  Does that mean that you endorse the USGA and R&A Rules of Golf so that if they were to go forward with the ban, you would support?

CHAIRMAN PAYNE:  That means, sir, what I said, and that is that we hope and believe that common ground will be achieved so that only one set of rules governs the game of golf.

Common ground, for me, translates as a compromise somewhere between the current USGA and R&A position of a 2016 ban on anchoring, and the PGA Tour/PGA of America position that this ban is bad for the game.

A longer grandfathering-in period beyond 2016? A shorter period until 14-b becomes the rule? A local rule option?

I will also note that the only tension during the entire press conference came when this topic was brought up. Clearly, this has caused consternation for the Chairman, who knew this would be asked because the club had deferred comment until this week. So the answer surprises me if nothing else for the lack of a position after every major golf organization took a stance on the proposed band. So what exactly bothers the chairman, who was in an otherwise excellent mood, remains a mystery.

Kraft Nabisco Thru 36: Another Anchorer Contends In A Major

John Strege tells us about England's Jodi Ewart Shadoff, a belly putter since November, 2011 who doesn't seem too concerned about a possible ban on anchoring.

"If they do decide to ban it, it wouldn't be a huge issue for me," she said, following a round of even-par 72 on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club. "I'd have to spend a couple months really working out with a short putter, but it wouldn't be a huge deal.

"Honestly, I've said this a lot of times, but all you have to do is look at my putting stats to know it's not a huge advantage."

Ewart is three back of Inbee Park who leads at -7.

"The 12th Condition of Competition could be golf’s great compromise."

PGA of America President Ted Bishop expands on the "12th Condition of Competition" idea he talked about on last week's State of the Game podcast where the USGA and R&A would adopt this to allow for anchoring say, on the Champions Tour. Or in the Former Yippers Open.

He says the idea came from current USGA President Glen Nager during a buddies bonding trip at Augusta. Warms your heart, I know!

If the USGA would drop the proposed Rule 14-1b and instead, make the ban on anchoring a Condition of Competition in the Rule Book, all entities in golf could handle it the way they want. Rule 33-1 provides, “The Committee must establish conditions under which a competition is to be played.”

Currently, there are eleven (11) Conditions of Competition in the Rules of Golf. These conditions include matters which are not appropriate to deal with in the rules of the game. They include such matters as Specification of Clubs and the Ball; Caddies; Pace of Play and Suspension of Play; Practice, Advice, Anti-Doping, etc. These Conditions of Competition are options available to any entity who is conducting an event.

And why is the idea, a seemingly good one in many respects, dead on arrival?

Is a 12th Condition of Competition a perfect solution? Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson, Tim Clark, Adam Scott and Carl Petterson will say no. At least, they would get to anchor their long putters in all but maybe three events each year- the U.S. Open, the British Open and maybe The Masters.

That's the killer. If onef ot eh four majors already telegraphs that they wouldn't be on board, it's impossible for the governing bodies go through with this, no?