PGA Tour won't ban putter anchoring

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MARANA, Ariz., Feb. 24 (UPI) -- The PGA Tour won't follow the R&A and USGA in banning the anchoring of putters, Commissioner Tim Finchem announced Sunday.

Finchem said such a ban wouldn't serve the pro tour well.

While the other golf organizations didn't prohibit the use of long putters or belly putters outright, they did ban the "act of anchoring any club against a player's body during a shot" in November.

"Where the PGA Tour came down was that they did not think banning anchoring was in the best of interests of golf or the PGA Tour," Finchem said.

"I would note that the PGA of America came to the same conclusion after consultation with their membership," he added. "(The) Golf Course Owners Association came to the same conclusion as well."

The decision won't set up a dispute between the PGA Tour the USGA, he said.

"The USGA did on multiple occasions look at this and come to one conclusion, 25 or 30 years later they've come to another conclusion," Finchem said. "At least tentatively, they asked us to give our comments. All we're doing at this point is saying this is our opinion."