Golf World - April 30, 2012

Discussions to ban
anchoring continue

�� A change to the Rules of Golf that would limit golfers’ ability to anchor long putters and other clubs against the body is looking more likely, judging from R&A officials’ comments during a press conference April 23 to promote this summer’s British Open at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

R&A chief executive Peter Dawson described discussions with the USGA on the matter as proceeding “at quite an intense pace.” The governing bodies are looking at Rule 14, which defines a stroke, as opposed to restricting the length of a club. David Rickman, the R&A’s director of rules and equipment standards, told Golf World that several drafts of proposed language have been floated, so many that he has stopped numbering them.

The challenge at this point no longer seems whether to change the rule, but rather determining precisely what to change (whether to outlaw anchoring of any kind or allow it with certain restrictions) and then how to write the rule as succinctly as possible.

Although the date that any alteration might go into effect would likely be Jan. 1, 2016, the time of the next qua-

drennial change to the Rules of Golf, Rickman said ideally any new rule would be settled on at least two years earlier to bring all players and governing bodies up to speed. —Brett Avery

When he turned in 32 on Saturday, he jumped onto the leader board, but then succumbed to the pressure and limped home in 40. The flashes of brilliance were enough to impress.

“I got a little confidence boost in
the tournament,” said Spieth, whose
No. 1-ranked Longhorns finished
second in the Aggie Invitational
without their top player. “We have
our college stuff now, our postseason,
Big 12, national championships. I’m
glad to be back and joining the team
and then can’t wait for summer. This
summer should be filled with quite a
few tournaments.”
Only some of those will be amateur
events. He still has four PGA Tour
sponsor’s exemptions available, and
a shot at the U.S. Open. And then,
perhaps, Q school. —Ron Sirak

Jordan Spieth

pga tour

Is a T- 41 at Valero a hint
at the future for Spieth?

�� On Thursday at TPC San Antonio, the five agents following Jordan Spieth during the opening round of the Valero Texas Open were clearly there for two reasons. First, Spieth is really good— he’s the top-ranked college player as an 18-year-old freshman at Texas. Second, this being the last year the top golfers at Q school can make the PGA Tour, there is a good chance he’ll leave college after one year.

“[Saturday] it got to be really fun,
and I knew what it was like to be in
the top-five in a PGA event, and [it’s]
a feeling I would like to have again,”
Spieth said after a 75 Sunday put him
at four-over 292, T- 41 in his fifth PGA
Tour event. “Obviously, not the ideal
finish, but overall a great week,”
Spieth, who was followed by dozens
of fans wearing Texas’ burnt-orange
colors, stumbled out of the gate with a
75 in the opening round and rebounded
nicely with a 70 to easily make the cut.