In 2016, a significant regulation emerged in professional golf aimed at addressing the rising trend of players winning major championships with longer putter shafts.
Notably, Keegan Bradley utilized the anchored stroke technique with his putter to secure the 2011 US PGA Championship, followed closely by Ernie Els, who achieved the same feat in 2012 at The Open Championship. Additionally, broom-handle putters were instrumental in Webb Simpson’s victory at the 2012 US Open and Adam Scott’s triumph at the Masters in 2013. While Scott continues to prefer a long putter, he has adapted his stroke to disengage it from his body.
The main rationale behind the abolition of anchoring after a nine-year period was to uphold the “core principles of the putting stroke.”
Interestingly, resting the extended shaft against the forearm—an approach favored by US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau—is still permitted as it retains a level of movement necessary for a proper stroke.
However, within the golfing community, some argue that even this method simplifies putting excessively.
Yet, various golfers, including rising stars like Schmid, Akshay Bhatia, Si Woo Kim, and Lucas Glover, skillfully employ longer putters, stirring debates about their legitimacy.
Veterans Bernhard Langer and Scott McCarron have faced scrutiny on the Seniors Tour regarding their methodologies, with the recent victory of Spaniard Eugenio Chacarra at the Indian Open drawing additional attention to the topic.
Both Langer and McCarron have strongly denied any rule violations in their techniques.
Reflecting on the issue in 2017, Langer remarked, “As someone who values integrity, I would never intentionally break the rules and be labeled a cheater. I am aware of my anchoring position—when my hand moves sideways, it’s evident.”
Yet, the challenge lies in the difficulty of visually enforcing these nuances, resulting in numerous gray areas concerning the integrity of the putting stroke, which can be frustrating for players like Schmid who excel on the greens.
Eddie Pepperell, a DP World Tour victor, believes the resolution is straightforward: “We should mandate that the putter be the shortest club in a golfer’s bag,” he suggested on the Chipping Forecast podcast.
A few referees share this perspective, with one stating, “A simple remedy is to just establish a maximum putter length and conclude the debate.” Another asserted, “If there’s a regulation in place, it ought to be enforceable.”