Scott McCarron, the spirit of golf and hypocrisy

[HogansAlley]

I'm pretty certain Mickleson would have got the club hecked over by the rule guys before putting it in his bag.

The issue for me is not whether the club is legal: under USGA rules (not R&A, I believe) the old Ping wedge is clearly legal. It is about whether it is within the spirit of the game. I would say it is definitely not. However, I can also see the argument that says 'if it's within the rules, it okay to use'. If I was on the PGA Tour (let me dream, folks) I would not consider for one moment using the old Ping wedge. This rule was brought in for the long-term good of the game, and he's effectively sticking two fingers up at it.

Oooh I'm getting quite heated here.

Don't take this personally, but....

RUBBISH.

If the rule was brought in purely for the good of the game, then why was there such a cock up over the original rule. It's all about politics and power within the game.

Who is more powerful, the USGA or the manufacturers. Ping will use this to get something that has already NOT been approved by the USGA reassessed and it will suddenly become acceptable.

When that happens all this free publicity will get the new wedge made legal, the old wedge will become illegal, and Ping will sell lots of new stuff.

You don't think Ping want 20 year old bits of kit floating around making the new stuff look bad. As soon as it pays them to, they will agree to ban the old wedge, no problem.

Forget morality, this is all about money and power.

No offence taken, mate. I stand by every word. The spirit of the game will always be subjective and a matter for the individual. The fact is if that Ping wedge was manufactured today it would be illegal - and that's enough for me to think that it shouldn't be used.

There are many things in life that are legal but morally questionable.

As others have mentioned, the old Ping wedge will be outlawed soon because it's not in anyone's interest - least of all Ping.

Excellent debate, fellas!

 

[Faldo_Fan]

Thought Mickleson was contracted to Callaway and had helped design their wedges so I'm surprised to see he's even got the Ping in the bag. I wouldn't be happy if I was Cally that he's giving the opposition the free publicity.

You usually find the top names in golf aren't contracted to all 14 clubs in the bag, most of the journeymen are but for the top boys it's usually a minimum of 11. Obviously some choose all 14 but don't have to. So while Callaway will be disappointed they know there's nothing they can do!

 

[freddielong]

I beleive the ruleing that makes ping eye 2 legal is not to do with the shape, so much as the distance between the grooves, initially the eye 2 had square or box grooves but were chewing balata golf balls to pieces so ping rounded the edges of the grooves, this meant that now the distance between the top of the grooves was less than the minimum distance allowed, and were briefly made illegal. Ping then tried to take the USPGA to court argueing that the groves were the right distance apart and it was only the rounding that made them to close.

This lead to what always happens when there is a case were neither party can afford to loose, they settled out of court and the uspga issued a special dispensation stateing the eye 2 grooves are legal and I beleive that it is this that stands in the way at the moment.

 

[Sam]

Ping then tried to take the USPGA to court argueing that the groves were the right distance apart and it was only the rounding that made them to close.

Agreed - that was in the link I posted earlier BUT don't understand how Ping's square grooves with ROUNDED edges are getting greater spin than V Grooves?

 

[SammmeBee]

the new models which are within the rules and perform better than any other 'legal' club out there

No, stoopid is still confused here....what's has it to do with new models and who said they perform better than other wedges?....Mr Vokey may have something to say about it....

 

[User 105]

Thought Mickleson was contracted to Callaway and had helped design their wedges so I'm surprised to see he's even got the Ping in the bag. I wouldn't be happy if I was Cally that he's giving the opposition the free publicity.

You usually find the top names in golf aren't contracted to all 14 clubs in the bag, most of the journeymen are but for the top boys it's usually a minimum of 11. Obviously some choose all 14 but don't have to. So while Callaway will be disappointed they know there's nothing they can do!

I found this hilarious when I saw him using the eye2 the other day.

The top callaway tour player, famous for his wedge play, using a ping wedge. If I was Callaway I'd be spitting feathers.

 

[HRC99]

I'm now loving the fact that it is now being called Groovegate.

What a great name.