BIFURCATION... THE TALK CONTINUES

When the USGA and R&A (Royal & Ancient Club of Scotland) began talking about banning anchoring of the putter a couple of years ago, and eventually ruling in early 2013 that the ban will be in effect on January 1st, 2016, major organizations such as the PGA of America and PGA Tour included, proposed that the USGA and R&A come up with a different set of equipment rules for professionals and amateurs. Nothing in that direction has happened, at least nothing that anyone knows about.

Nevertheless, bifurcation truly seems like a logical step for many reasons, one of them being that a great majority of amateurs already "bifurcated", knowingly or not.

We don't have to go far. Take Elk City Golf & C.C. for example. We are pretty much a mirror of what is going on in America at the majority of the courses in America. We have a good percentage of people who plainly enjoy hitting the ball around the golf course, expecting to have a good lie everywhere, so they play the ball "up". Some groups play the ball "up" in their own fairway rewarding straight tee shots and "down" outside the fairway, penalizing wayward tee shots. Fewer people play the ball "down" everywhere, as the rules require.

The same goes on with equipment. Once the long putter was introduced, 30 or so years ago, and no one said a thing, a few golfers began using it with some success, eventually getting used to it. Now we are going to tell them that they cannot use it. If we "play by the rules" in local tournaments, as of 2016, no one can anchor their long putter. In Elk City, we have a few avid golfers who use a long putter, some of them play in our Club Championship, with certain amount of success. Just having fun playing with their fellow members and friends. Maybe the success with the long putter is more psychological than physical, but I still see them hit some really questionable putts from time to time. So, when 2016 comes, and we host the Club Championship, are we going to tell them they can't do it anymore We have to, if we are to play by the rules, just like we need to have them play with a maximum of 14 conforming clubs... or that they cannot use Polara balls, or that they need to add a penalty stroke for going in a

If we lose a player or two in the championship, I'll feel truly bad. One less player is not the way we promote the enjoyment of the game. I understand (somewhat) if they tell Bernard Langer that he has taken a lot of money from his peers in the the Senior Tour, or that Keegan Bradley dared to win the PGA Championship with the long putter, as did Webb Simpson at the U.S. Open.... wow! "let's badn it", it is not "traditional". Let me say this, what is traditional is to get the ball in the hole in the fewer strokes as possible. Period. It seems to me that the USGA has no clue how to act when someone wins with less traditional ways. Back in the 40's, they banned "straddling the line of putt" because Sam Snead was putting that way and winning "woo much". He was not the only one using the method, but he was the only one winning. Thankfully, he went on to win much more without straddling the line.

My question is why they haven't banned the use of red shirt on Sundays. After all, it has worked for Tiger Woods rather well.  That said, bifurcation has already started by none other than the USGA... they now permit amateurs the use of distance measuring devices, but not professionals. Why? Who knows!

The best way to "bifurcate" would be to allow amateurs the use of long putters, pretty much the same way baseball allows amateurs use aluminum bats, but forbids them in the professional circuit, Let people have fun. Now, if the USGA and R&A really want to truly make a difference, have the manufacturers build a ball that will be used by all players, just like in any other sport. They can change the brand every year. This ball would go 10-15% less far than current balls. There would be many advantages to this, one of them being that newer golf courses do not need 500 acres of land to house a 7,400 - 7,800 yards course. Maintenance costs would go down, and sales of balls would soar among amateurs because they could now, or at least perhaps, hit it as far as the pros.

Also, allow amateurs to have more than 14 clubs in the bag, and limit the pros to 12. I guarantee you that Tiger can play with any three clubs of his choice, and beat EVERY amateur, including rated college players, in any course. Pretty much just like the worst professional football team in the NFL, would beat Alabama hands down. Note: Some years ago, there was a match between Lee Trevino and Seve Ballesteros at the Old Course in St. Andrews, each playing the course with a single club. If memory serves me right, Seve won 74 to 75... One club! How many amateurs you know who could actually score better than 74 with a full set of clubs at this historic course?

In short, Tiger, Phil, Rory and all of the pros, play a DIFFERENT game than the rest of us. Allow the amateurs, the ones who pay for the salary of the pros, both on tour and at the clubs, play a fun game and MAKE THE PROS SHOW WHY THEY DO PLAY A DIFFERENT GAME... SINCE THEY ACTUALLY (ALREADY) DO!