Here we go, I think we all knew this was coming whether you agree with it or not.  The proposed rule would “prohibit strokes made with the club or a hand gripping the club held directly against the player’s body, or with a forearm held against the body to establish an anchor point that indirectly anchors the club.”  You can continue to use that long putter you bought after Keegan won the PGA, but you won’t be able to anchor it to your body beginning in 2016.  (if you want to read the whole thing, here it is)  Is this a good thing?  I don’t know…has anyone ever switched to a long putter because they were putting so well?  Three of the last five majors have been won with long putters, but if they are so good they are an unfair advantage why isn’t everyone switching to them?  From my standpoint, it seems like we should be doing anything we can to help more people enjoy the game (like make more putts!) and spend less time regulating things that may or may not be an advantage. PGA of America President and Indiana Section member Ted Bishop agrees…“We’ve been thinking out of the box, trying to come up with ways to make the game friendly and more enjoyable. And we think this could be a deterrent to that.”

Another question also begs…what happens to the guys who use the long putter because of back problems?  Does this effectively end Fred Couples career after the 2015 season?  I certainly hope not.  While the decision is not final, the USGA and R&A will be accepting comments for the next three months, it certainly looks like something is going to happen.  And this equipment rule change, unlike the recent groove rule change, will have a very direct impact on golf at the amateur level.