Woods weighs in to belly rumble

Tiger latest player to speak out against the use of controversial putters

Not a fan: Tiger Woods insists it is time that the controversial belly putters were outlawed from the game

Tiger Woods has added his voice to the growing list of those opposed to the use of belly putters.

Woods, playing this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, was reacting to the news that the USGA and R&A are planning to re-examine the use of the controversial clubs.

Belly putters hit the headlines last year when Keegan Bradley became the first-ever player to win a major using one, the rookie claiming the US PGA Championship.

However, several people contested that, by anchoring the butt of the club to their bodies, players who used them were gaining an unfair advantage. Fourteen-time major-winner Woods agrees with them.

“I’ve never been a fan of it,” he said. “I believe the art of controlling the body and club and swinging pendulum motion. I believe that’s how it should be played. I’m a traditionalist when it comes to that.”

Woods added that he has spoken with the chief executive of the R&A, Peter Dawson, about trying to find a way to outlaw the clubs’ use.

“I’ve talked to Peter about this for a number of years and gone back and forth of how we could word it,” said Woods. “My idea was to have it so that the putter would be equal to or less than the shortest club in your bag. And I think with that we’d be able to get away from any type of belly anchoring. You can still anchor the putter like Bernhard Langer did against the form. But that’s still the art of swinging the club too at the same time.”

Woods’ appearance at Pebble Beach this week marks his first PGA Tour event of the season and comes a fortnight on from his 2012 debut in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship where he finished tied for second.

He last played in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in 2002, an event he won in 2000.

Bryce Ritchie is the Editor of bunkered and, in addition to leading on content and strategy, oversees all aspects of the brand. The first full-time journalist employed by bunkered, he joined the company in 2001 and has been editor since 2009. A member of Balfron Golfing Society, he currently plays off nine and once got a lesson from Justin Thomas’ dad.

Editor of bunkered