ShopTalkers Several of us in the industry had tried to lobby the USGA in the past 2 years to do what Rory McIroy just said in a press conference yesterday at the Dubai Desert Classic. As you all know, if you took a poll among tour players in the past as to whether they would be in favor of longer rough or tougher greens, few if any would agree. I find this very interesting that a highly ranked tour player, and I am sure he is not alone in this, is now forming the opinion that this new groove rule is so bad that they would rather have longer rough and firmer greens as a means for leveling the playing field between the straight hitters and the bomb and gouge players. TOM
McIlroy wants rule changes to be reconsidered By Associated Press Posted: February 2, 2010 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Rory McIlroy has called upon the world's golf authorities to reconsider their controversial new regulations on the shape of grooves in the heads of golf clubs. Both the USGA and The Royal & Ancient in January introduced new rules designed to prevent tour professionals imparting excessive spin on golf balls when playing out of long rough grass. The measures have been greeted with a mixed reaction and confusion on both the PGA and European Tours. And in America Phil Mickleson has found a way around the ban on "U"-shaped grooves by playing with a 20-year-old Ping wedge that in 1993 was the subject of an unreversable Supreme Court ruling that it was approved for play. McIlroy, who currently stands ninth in the world rankings, believes there are other ways to make golf more difficult for professionals rather than tampering with club design. "I think they are trying to bring the whole professional game and the Amateur game closer together," said the 20-year-old Northern Irish golfer in Dubai as he prepared for Thursday's start of the Desert Classic which he won last year. "I don't see why they don't firm greens up and get the rough longer to bring scores down," said McIlroy. "They can make golf courses a lot tougher and turn 20-under winning scores into 12- under." McIlroy did, however, add that he feared making scoring harder at professional tournaments could cause golf to lose spectator appeal. "When I turn on the TV and I am watching a tournament I don't like to see guys struggling for pars all the time. I think people like to see birdies as well. I like to see birdies and people hitting the ball close to flags." -----Original Message----- From: owner-shopt...@mail.msen.com [mailto:owner-shopt...@mail.msen.com] On Behalf Of Tom Flanagan Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 11:05 AM To: shoptalk Subject: RE: ShopTalk: Statement by Ping Chairman John Solheim This thread is fascinating. As I said in an earlier post, what those millionaires on tour use doesn't affect me in any way. I could not possibly care less. What I care about is what clubs I and other chops like me use. For example, I played yesterday with a guy, a 20 handicapper, who has a full set of Ping Eye 2 square groove irons in his bag. Over 18 holes the only shot he made that "spun back" was his third shot on a par 3 that hit the flagstick. He made 6 on the hole. I contend and continue to believe that all this stuff is the old "tempest in a teapot" argument. I recall the USGA ruling about the square groove issue with Ping, and the out of court settlement between Ping and USGA. I was playing Eye 2's at the time, as were a lot of the guys I played with. To a man, virtually every guy I knew who was playing Pings said "I'm not buying a new set of irons". The "honor" of the game is certainly important, but some of you old timers here may recall the long thread re; the number of clubs allowed in the bag and so on. The consensus then seemed to be "so what, carry as many as you can hoist". Same with the square groove controversy. If a Ping SW is legal, what's the problem? I'm not a Mickleson fan but I agree with him on this issue. If other guys on tour think the Ping wedge gives an unfair advantage, they should hustle to the nearest used club barrel and buy one. the fascinating thing about all this is that Mickleson and others using the club didn't win the tournament. Ben Crane won it. In the long run, talent will out. McCarron et al can use whatever Mickleson's using but will not ever be as good a player. And that, in the long term, is what matters; talent, not snivelling. Curmudgeonly yours TFlan > Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 19:36:05 -0600 > To: ShopTalk@mail.msen.com > From: bfhow...@knology.net > Subject: Re: ShopTalk: Statement by Ping Chairman John Solheim > > At 09:15 AM 2/2/2010, DaveT wrote: > >...Golfers call fouls on themselves, which kind of precludes rule-shaving. > >I am disappointed in Phil M and the others who have switched to the Ping > >Eye 2 this year; it really smacks of rule-shaving. > > If there were the faintest chance that these clubs could be illegal, I'd be > on your side on this one. But it's not even in dispute -- they are > plainly, explicitly legal, the same as every other piece of controlled > equipment allowed in the game. > > And even though they are also explicitly legal, I don't approve of modern > grapefruit-on-a-stick drivers, or those ski pole putters. Both are > abominations and, I believe, both diminish the skill required to play the > game well. For that reason I won't use them, but I would never consider > calling my fellow competitor a cheater for using them. > > I might call him a weakling or a pussy, but not a cheater. > > Burgess > > > -- > Shoptalk ** Sponsored by the new Aldila Voodoo. > Learn more at http://aldilavoodoo.com/ ________________________________ Hotmail: Trusted email with Microsoft's powerful SPAM protection. Sign up now.<http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/201469226/direct/01/>
