Keegan: "I feel like the USGA has really put an X on our back and really shined a light on us, and I don't know if that's exactly fair."

Bob Harig looks at the even more-motivated Keegan Bradley who is taking some mild Twitter bashing along with the anchoring ban to have more reason to win tournaments, starting with the World Challenge at Sherwood.

Some will not like this comment, but I think his point is correct when you consider how the governing bodies have cited the last 18-24 months of golf as driving the decision to act, even if many of us think it's the right action.

"I feel like the USGA has really put an X on our back and really shined a light on us, and I don't know if that's exactly fair," Bradley said. "I just hope that people look at us for the type of players that we are and the accomplishments that we've had and not because we use a belly putter and now the USGA says it's going to be illegal.

"When we started putting with it, they were legal, and they still are. It's a sticky situation, and I hope people can see through that."

Update on Thursday, November 29, 2012 at 10:06 PM by Geoff

**Morning Drive's segment focusing on Bradley and Webb Simpson is worth watching as you can hear how they express their admiration for (and disagreement with) the governing bodies.

Comments

[DTF]

Been on the move and missed the little Heimlich Maneuver like chart they released Wednesday...

...here's where they will have problems -- "anchor point created by forearm". (shows "long" putter)

"One or both elbows braced against body" is ok..."forearms held against the body" is ok...but only with a short putter?

What defines a "short" putter vs. a "mid-length" putter vs. a "long" putter?

If I brace my left forearm and elbow against my body, use a short putter, and the claw grip, such that my left hand remains stationary, is that a violation?

Heimlich Chart suggests the elbow or forearm cannot touch the body with a "long" putter? But you can do anything you want with the elbow or forearm when using a "short" putter? This is gonna get ugly!

Where will these charts be posted? In dining rooms with the Heimlich charts? On the back of the loo door? Behind the bar?!?

[No Longer Used to be Former Stack & Tilt Convert]

Wouldn't be great if both Keegan and Webb went side saddle and won majors next year?

[Stord]

Guys, it's really obvious: Either you win another major in your career putting normally, or you never do and you will always have a (well-deserved) asterix against your wins.

[smails]

X on your back? they compared you to Sam Snead.

[Ghillie]

Please sir, I can't play with the same equipment as most of the world, so I reserve the right to whinge and special plead...

Pathetic. Get out to some practice ground over the holidays and learn to putt with a PUTTER, as any decent coach or teacher would have INSISTED you do in the first place. Lose that thing you crate about and worked a major* with.

[Stanley Thompson]

Ghillie,

Bravo!

[Charlie]

The issue with the X on their back or the asterisk next to their major is minor compared to the scrutiny and twitter bashing they'll get in the next 3 years now that they are banned, but not until later.

the RA and usga really screwed this up with waiting until 3 years to make the ban go into place. that is just dumb. i'm sure there was some legal motive behind it or something, but now thats its banned i kinda hope guys use it for the 3 years and continue to win majors just to shove it the face of the usga. why they couldn't put a jan 1 2014 date on it and be done with it is beyond me.

[jjshaka]

Ghillie-
Well said- if this is the worse thing that happens to these pampered dolts they should consider themselves lucky.
They rolled the dice early on and finally they've crapped out- don't look stupid by acting indignant.

[RLL]

Poor, poor Keegy, the big bad mens are putting a scarlett letter on his back back...

After witnessing his "act" in person at Sherwood yesterday, he should be grateful they aren't putting him in a straight jacket. The cameras don't begin to capture the lunacy that this head case has convinced himself is needed to do what he does with a stick and a golf ball.

[Steven T.]

@Keegan Bradley Wake up! What you've been doing is not a stroke. It's not swinging the club.

[Paboy]

I hope the PGA Tour bans it at the start of the year, and these guys take the next three US Opens and British Opens anchoring.

[Stanley Thompson]

If Bradley would stop his preshot dance I might actually let him keep his putter.
He is one of the reasons I hardly watch golf on TV anymore.

[Gary]

I hope some died in the wool right-wing republican golfers go to the courts to ask for governmental intervention into a private organization's decisions. That would be good for a laugh.

[fyg]

Some a-hole has always got to inject politics into these threads.

[Yarg]

Intervention into the operation of private entities has been the sole domain of the left for the last 4 years.

[jjshaka]

Gary-
If you're going to take a cheap political shots at your bogeymen, at least learn to spell "dyed' right, dumbass.

[KLG]

Which Left, Yarg?

Anyway:
DJIA 11/28/08: 8,046
DJIA 11/30/12: 13,026 (+62%)

From the depth of the slide that began in late 2007:
DJIA 03/06/09: 6,627
DJIA 11/30/12: 13,026 (+97%)

Wall Street needs more Left.

[Ghillie]

Right, we're going to get these poofters off the crutch. (Eventually -- they apparently have to be weaned -- not grammatically consistent -- props to jshaka, who got "dyed" before I got home -- but what do you expect for wienies? -- from their dummies).

Now -- can we save The Old Course?

[Pat Burke]

Let's see, from this thread:
Asterisk
whinge
pathetic
Major*
pampered dolts
indignant
lunacy...head case
poofters

Nope, they haven't been singled out for anything negative

[GolfFan]

USGA placing the X? Or was it the evil "Media"?

Now there's a poll

[Mike]

Just have to love the moronic comments and posts on here ..... obviously the same 'rent-a-crowd' bunch who follow TW around screaming 'GET-IN-THE-HHOOOLLLE' before he even makes contact with the ball, and who were on duty at the Ryder Cup to cheer every time a European playermissed a putt or found a bunker.
As their combined IQ is probably below 80 do their comments actually count? Probably not.
i doubt any of them could consistenty sink a 5 foot putt with a putter of any length, or even an ice hockey stick or even a broom.
Maybe when any of them are able to take these guys on in any facet of the game with any form of opinion I may just yawn, stretch, and sk them if they said something.
The use of long putters has never been illegal, and neither has the 'planned to be banned'' methods of using them. There are players who have used the equipment and the methods all their lives.