Golf Datatech: 60% Of Serious Golfers Support Anchoring Ban

You can read the full release and survey results here.

The highlights from a survey of "1,766 randomly selected golfers drawn from Golf Datatech’s exclusive Serious Golfer Database, who play an average of 68 rounds per year with an average handicap of 14.3."

· 60% of respondents believe that the governing bodies of golf should ban the anchoring of clubs to the body, while 40% believe they should not.

· 62% of respondents do not believe the anchoring ban will cause some amateur golfers to enjoy the game less.

· If the proposed rule is enforced in 2016, 31% of current long putter users will continue to anchor their putter, while 31% will not anchor against their body, and 38% will switch to a conventional putter.

Neighbors Rejoice Over Minor Damage To Trump Scotland

Simon Murphy reports on the damaged to the burn on the fourth hole, which overflowed during last month's storms.

Last night, Suzanne Kelly, a local resident who discovered the damage, said it was ‘beautifully ironic’.

She added: ‘The amount I know about golf would fit into a teaspoon. However, I do know when I’m walking on a pathway and come to a big chasm, that’s not the best.

‘I’m just glad the light hadn’t gone by the time I got to that point on the course otherwise I’d be talking from a hospital bed with a broken leg.

‘There’s no fence, no sign, no warning you’re about to fall into a hole, just a few traffic cones.’

Clinton Meets His Match! Finchem Eventually Lets Former Prez Take Humana Mic

You can watch about 7 minutes of former President Bill Clinton talking about a range of topics to the press at the Humana Challenge, his last appearance there before heading back for the inaugural events this weekend.

You'll have to sit through 5 minutes of Commissioner Platform first. Sorry.

And sorry about the iPod mini player window, it's not my call.



You can read the transcript here and see if the Commish out-platforms the Humana board chair.

Lanny Lands Champions Lead Analyst Gig

Lanny gets the call.

And don't even think of asking me who was the lead analyst before him.

Known as one of the fiercest competitors on Tour during his playing career, Wadkins will be in the booth this week for the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, one of 22 Champions Tour events on Golf Channel in 2013. He will also appear on news and instructional programming throughout the year.

"Lanny was one of the greatest golfers of his generation, and we are thrilled to have him as a member of our Golf Channel family," said executive producer Molly Solomon. "I have been a fan of Lanny's for many years, and we look forward to his return to television and hearing his familiar voice each week on the Champions Tour."

Video: Rory's Duck Hook

Who says you can't hit a duck hook with modern equipment?

The good news? No one was there to see Rory McIllroy show off his new equipment en route to an opening 75 in the HSBC at Abu Dhabi.

The bad news? Television was there.

Who would have guessed it's January?

Update on 2013-01-17 18:40 by Geoff

**Bob Harig addresses Rory's club change and short transition period in light of the opening round.

Although indications are that McIlroy knew he'd be making the switch as far back as September, the transition period has not been that long.

It is hard to imagine McIlroy working with the new clubs much when he still had tournaments to play and was contractually obligated to use the old ones. He visited Nike's testing center in Forth Worth, Texas, and got hooked up with all manner of apparatus to lock in launch angles and swing speeds and all the other technical stuff professional golfers endure to try and get their equipment just right.

Video: Even Tiger Cold Tops One Now And Then...

Thanks to reader Brian for the video link to this shot during first round play at Abu Dhabi. The shot was hit from the first tee (his tenth hole) during opening round play in the 2013 HSBC Golf Championship.

According to Golf Channel's Tiger Tracker it went 200 yards.

Watch it before the inevitable copyright claim.

Update on 2013-01-17 16:43 by Geoff

**Alistair Tait was there and documents the rusty start for both Tiger and Rory. His description of the above shot for the days after the video is scrubbed.

I think we can all relate to this feeling:

Woods hit a drive that would have embarrassed many high-handicappers. He hit an inch behind the ball and watched as it fell short of the fairway. The ball traveled only about 150 yards. Woods’ fairway metal approach still came up 20 yards short, and he failed to get up-and-down for par. “My whole game plan was to hit 3-iron or 5-wood on that hole,” Woods said. “I changed my game plan and wasn’t committed to the shot. I didn’t want to hit it. I was really fighting over that tee shot and should have backed off it.”

Debating The Walker Cup Mid-Amateur Quota

Ron Balicki looks at the new mid-amateur quota for the U.S. Walker Cup team. Just the use of the word quota should give free marketeers reason to pause, but if that doesn't, then Rickie Fowler's criticism might.

“Actually, I’m really surprised they made this adjustment,” Fowler said. “I definitely feel like a deserving young player could get left out. I always thought the Walker Cup is meant to be the best amateurs from the U.S. against the best amateurs from GB&I. There shouldn’t be an age requirement or certain number of mid-ams that have to be on the team.”

That said, Fowler added, “If the two mid-ams are guys who have played on Walker Cups, then, yes, it could be very helpful to the team. But if you take a mid-am who is playing in his first Walker Cup, it would be the same as taking a kid right out of high school (who is) rearing to play.”

Balicki quotes several prominent mid-amateurs who praise the decision and also addresses the notion of whether sportsmanship has been placed above winning, something USGA Championship committee chair Tom O'Toole acknowledges is secondary to the spirit of the matches as established by George Herbert Walker.

Golfweek's Sean Martin, who covers amateur golf and the Walker Cup pursuit, tweeted that this "ridiculous" decision cheapens the Walker Cup. And regarding the mid-ams eligible for this year:

The race for Walker Cup spots is too tight to designate two in January. Not another deserving mid-am after Nathan Smith.

Not surprisingly Global Golf Post, which is sent to USGA members and therefore had the story in its Monday edition before the press release went public, went the house organ route in its lede:

"In a surprising move that will be well received throughout the U.S. amateur golf community."

And John Peterson, infamously snubbed the last time the Cup was played, Tweeted this:

World Class Amateurs- Turn Pro and make money, or spend all of it trying to make the Walker Cup just to leave it to politics. #StillHurts

"Mickelson's Torrey Pines Vision Taking Shape"

Tod Leonard on the unveiling of Torrey Pines North's first three holes as Phil Mickelson would like to update them.

Most of it sounds solid, but some of this type of earth moving in the wrong hands could backfire:

Most significantly, three bunkers that guard the front of the first green would become one smaller bunker to the right-middle, while Angus said a bank on the left side would kick balls toward the hole. There is a swale to the short right of the green that golfers might find if they go for the hole in two shots.

• At the par-5 first, current fairway bunkers that are closer to the white tees will be eliminated, with new bunkers requiring carries of 278 and 310 yards for the pros. Where most amateurs would land, the fairway would be widened and raised to provide better views of the ocean. The green would be lowered by 8 feet to show off more water.