Now Ernie's Gut Tells Him Anchoring Ban Is Wrong?

Just a mini-flashback comment from Ernie Els before he won an Open using a belly putter: “As long as it’s legal, I’ll keep cheating like the rest of them.”

And this week in China, as reported by James Corrigan:

Els, meanwhile, sought to debunk the myth over the “magical qualities” of the implement. “It’s not just about tucking it into your belly and you start holing putts,” he said. “A lot of work has to go into it to perfect your style. You still feel the nerves and you can still miss.”

The two ruling bodies have remained tight-lipped on the issue, saying only that the review continues. But two weeks ago, USGA officials met with four of the PGA Tour’s professionals — including the Ryder Cup captain Davis Love — to outline the details of the prospective ban.

Els still holds out a little hope they can convince the rule-makers to reassess. “This can become something they have to address again,” he said. “With all the pressure from players and media maybe they can further consider the issue.”