You have to ask why Phil is using his old wedge. He was quoted in an
article saying that the old wedge may not perform any better than his new
one. So, was his using the old Ping for competitive advantage, or
politics? He certainly did a good job bringing the spotlight onto the new
groove rules. I suspect his purpose has been accomplished and he'll go
back to his new wedges very soon, with no fanfare.
Now if he could just keep his drives on the fairway . . . he could play
boring golf like everyone else. Great theater AND a top 20 finish. Wow.
Alan
At 09:46 AM 2/2/2010 -0500, you wrote:
I thought you guys would find this interesting:
Statement by Ping Chairman and CEO John Solheim
February 1, 2010
In response to the on-going discussion and miscommunication relating to
2010 Groove Regulation and the use of PING EYE2 irons manufactured prior
to April 1, 1990, PING Chairman & CEO John Solheim issued the following
statement today:
"Over the last several weeks we've watched with great interest the impact
of the PING EYE2 and its role in the USGA's 2010 Groove Regulation. We've
read and heard numerous inaccurate reports from various sources, including
several PGA Tour Professionals, about the new groove regulation,
specifically that "U" or "Square" grooves are "banned" as part of the
regulation. As the USGA states on its website:
"A common misconception is that "V" shaped grooves will be required under
the new specifications and that "U" shaped grooves will no longer be
allowed. This is not the case."
This misconception has contributed to PING EYE2 irons being characterized
as "non-conforming" or "illegal" and has created a division among many of
the players on the PGA Tour.
We're thankful that the PGA Tour helped clarify this issue in a statement
last weekend:
"Under the Rules of Golf and the 2010 Condition of Competition for Groove
Specifications promulgated by the USGA, pre-1990 Ping Eye 2 irons are
permitted for play and any player who uses them in PGA TOUR sanctioned
events taking place in jurisdictions of the USGA is not in violation of
the Rules of Golf; and
Because the use of pre-1990 Ping Eye 2 irons is permitted for play, public
comments or criticisms characterizing their use as a violation of the
Rules of Golf as promulgated by the USGA are inappropriate at best."
Naturally, this entire episode takes us back more than 20 years when our
company took a stand against both the USGA and PGA Tour over their
attempts to ban PING EYE2 irons because of the grooves. In an effort to
protect the interests of the millions of PING EYE2 owners who had
purchased their clubs in good faith and for the good of the game, we
negotiated an agreement with the USGA which "grandfathered" all PING EYE2
irons manufactured prior to April 1, 1990.
In 1993, the PGA Tour agreed they "will not in the future adopt or attempt
to adopt any separate PGA Tour rule which would prohibit the use of
U-grooves on any golf club if such PGA Tour rule differed from a USGA rule."
When the USGA proposed the New Groove Rule more than two years ago, we
reminded them of their agreement relative to the PING EYE2 irons. At the
time, I was vehemently against any new groove rule for a variety of
reasons and advised both the USGA and PGA Tour in a letter dated July 31,
2007 that what is happening on the PGA Tour today was very much a possibility.
The recent statement from the PGA Tour and several PGA Tour players that
they could invoke a "local rule" required us to remind the PGA Tour of the
terms of the agreement which prohibits them from straying from a rule that
"differed from a USGA rule."
While I fully expect the PGA Tour to honor this agreement, I'm willing to
discuss a workable solution to this matter that would benefit the game and
respect the role innovation has played over the long history of golf."
--
John Muir
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