Music: Disco Teeth
Written: Kevin Casey
Voice over: Michael Robles
It’s been more than two-and-a-half years since the anchored putting ban officially made its way into the Rules of Golf.
But issues here still pop up. There has been controversy on the PGA Tour Champions as stars Bernhard Langer and Scott McCarron wield legal strokes with long putters, but have come under fire for toeing the line just short of anchoring.
It’s not quite like that on the PGA Tour, but these queries do arise on that circuit from time to time, too.
David Hearn proved so Friday at the John Deere Classic. The Canadian fired a 7-under 64 to reach 12 under and a tie for second, putting him in contention through 36 holes at an event where he lost a playoff in 2013 (to a 19-year-old Jordan Spieth). In those two rounds, he gained roughly five strokes on the field on the greens.
How was he rewarded for his good play?
Rules officials took him aside and inquired about whether he was employing an anchored stroke. Golf Channel’s Chantel McCabe was on the ground reporting:
Chantel McCabe
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@ChantelMcCabeGC
David Hearn just took off with his putter with rules officials. His caddie tells me they are looking at his stroke to make sure he isn’t anchoring.
After the ban he’s tried many methods, this one he’s used for 4 months. I’m told it’s the first time he’s been called on this.
11:20 AM – Jul 13, 2018
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Well that must have been an unsettling conversation.
Hearn talked to reporters after that ordeal, though, and seemed nonchalant about it all. He was cleared here and clarified that an inquiry like this – about a stroke where his left hand appears to be right up against his sternum – did not surprise him.
“Yeah, I guess I’m putting too well. No, honestly, it’s to be expected,” Hearn said. “There is a lot of opinions out there about the anchoring rules and whatnot. They were asking me about the way that I’m doing it, and I can say with certainty that I’m not anchoring the putter.”
Hearn, 39, was certainly one of those affected by the anchoring ban and said he tried different putting methods since that came down Jan. 1, 2016. Among those were the Matt Kuchar arm brace.
Hearn ranked 27th in strokes gained: putting on the PGA Tour in 2015, the final year anchored putting was allowed. He actually finished a respectable 48th the following year but then plummeted to 120th in the 2016-17 season. He’s currently 163rd in the 2017-18 campaign.
He went to his current method months ago and figured he would be questioned at some point. Hearn, who is still looking for his first PGA Tour win, has been ready with an explanation on why his stroke is certainly not anchoring.
“I’ve made physical changes to my putter. I’ve taken an inch and a half off the length. I’ve worked on a lot of things to try to compensate for what it used to do when it was anchored,” Hearn said. “Today unfortunately I get asked questions like that. They got to do their due diligence and I understand that, but I can say with 100 percent certainty that I’m within the rules.”
Here’s a look from Friday at his current method (where his left hand is up toward his sternum but does not appear to be anchored into it):
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