Golf Enthusiast Troy Reddell Remarks on Controversial New Ruling

PHILADELPHIA, PA, May 29, 2013

The rules of golf are hardly set in stone; on the contrary, various professional organizations are at liberty to change the rules whenever they like--and according to amateur golfer Troy Reddell, this is not necessarily a positive thing for golf lovers. Reddell says a recent ruling from the U.S. Golf Association, outlawing the anchored putt, is especially vexing, despite the fact that the anchored putt is illegal in many other international golf organizations. Reddell has issued a new statement to the press, offering his side of the U.S. Golf Association decision.

According to a recent USA Today report, the U.S. Golf Association has "outlawed the practice of anchoring a golf club to the body when a player makes a stroke." The decision could potentially lead to litigious action from players and from golf associations the world over--including both the PGA Tour and PGA America, which vocally protested the anchored putt ban in the days leading up to the U.S. Golf Association's final decision.

"This is the problem with a decision like this--not that it is necessarily a bad move as far as the playing of golf is concerned, but because it alters the way things have always been done, the way players have grown accustomed to playing," Troy Reddell comments, in his new statement to the press. "One wishes to be charitable toward the U.S. Golf Association, and to assume the intent is to make the game even better, but is it really being done to pander to pressure being applied on the issue by the likes of Tiger Woods who does not play with an anchored putting stroke?"

Continues USA Today, the new rule will not take effect until 2016. When it does take effect, however, it will prohibit strokes made with the club or the hand gripping the club held directly against the body of the player, or with the forearm held against the body in an attempt to establish an "anchor point."

This kind of anchoring is mostly used during putting were four of the last six major champions used this controversial stroke.

USGA Director Mike Davis is quoted in the article as acknowledging that this is a "divisive issue," but that banning the anchored stroke is necessary to protect the fundamentals of the game.

The rule change does nothing to modify current equipment rules, meaning that long putters and belly-length putters are still allowed, so long as they are not anchored. A violation of this rule will result in a lost hole in match play, and a two-stroke penalty in stroke play.

"There is no question this change in the rules will disadvantage a number of international golfers, in particular recent US Masters champion Adam Scott," Troy Reddell concludes. "We can only hope that those golfers affected like Adam Scott have the ability to now adapt to this rule change and continue to be successful."

Troy Reddell is an enthusiastic amateur golfer.

ABOUT:

Troy Reddell is an enthusiastic golfer, regularly taking part in charity golf events. Reddell has played golf across Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Asia Pacific and beyond; his personal goal is to play on each of Australia's Top 50 ranked courses.