Adam Scott admits a gut feeling that golf’s rule makers will act against long putters but he’s also adamant he could do well with a short one again.
The Australian star has sensed resentment from some tour pros with traditional putters against players using long or belly putters as the issue of players anchoring putters against their body has become increasingly contentious.
“I don’t believe it would be a hard thing for me to go back to the short putter,” said Scott in an interview appearing in Golf Magazine’s December issue.
“I could do it this week, and I think I would putt better than I did in 2010 and 2009.
“The long putter has taught me how to putt again.”
World No.6 Scott tied for seventh in the World Golf Championships event in China on Sunday, continuing his great form since switching to a long-handled putter anchored against the chest a couple of years ago after a lengthy slump.
He went close to winning the British Open in July while finishing 15th or better in all four 2012 majors.
Last year, Keegan Bradley became the first player to win a major with a long putter at the PGA Championship and he was followed by Webb Simpson at this year’s US Open and Ernie Els at the British Open.
However, golf rule makers the R&A and USGA are believed to be discussing whether to ban such putters and, if they do, it would likely be for the start of 2016.
“My gut feeling is the rule will get changed, but I just don’t see the valid reason for them to do that,” Scott said in the interview. “I don’t see a good argument for changing it.”
“They’ve got to look beyond professional golf. The governing bodies don’t run the Tour – they run golf.
“Some recreational golfers can’t play the game without a long putter. I think that would be a shame if they’re going to take people away from the game.
“I’m sure that’s not their intention, but it’ll be interesting to see what they come up with.”
Scott did not accept the common stance for banning them, that anchoring the long putter against the body went against the traditions of the game.
“That’s not even an argument,” he said. “Otherwise, we’d be playing with hickory shafts.”
He said it seemed the move against long putters was being pushed by some players and he questioned whether long putter users could lobby similarly against other club developments – “hybrids for example”.
“Yeah, I think some people definitely have a problem with guys putting with a belly putter or a long putter,” he said.
“That’s because they haven’t putted well with it, or they haven’t tried it. That’s part of my argument- it’s still a learned skill.
“It’s not like you just pick it up and make putts.”
