BELLY ROW RUMBLES AS SCOTT PUTTS ON A SHOW
THE 18th green at Royal Lytham has witnessed some of The Open’s most iconic moments. It was the scene of a rare English victory in 1969 when Tony Jacklin triumphantly held his arms aloft. In 1988 a delicate chip from the back of the green by Seve Ballesteros completed perhaps the greatest round of his career and sent the crowd into raptures. Now, tomorrow, we’re faced with a prospect from the other end of the scale, and a man clinching victory with a long-handled putter that ought to have no place in the modern game. What were the Royal and Ancient Golf Club thinking of in allowing it in the first place? If truth be told, they’d now ban it in a heartbeat if they could. They’re on record for admitting their ‘concern’ at the proliferation among young players of putters that make the black art easier and eliminate much of the skill and nerve. The putters are currently under review, but even if they are deemed illegal retrospectively, nothing will be done until 2015. A lot of players, like Tom Watson, Lee Westwood and Tiger Woods, take an admirable stand and refuse to countenance using them. Many others, like Adam Scott, see nothing wrong in taking full advantage. And so, after Scott’s opening two rounds of 64 and 67, the dreaded prospect has arisen, following on from victories in the US Open and USPGA Championships, for players wielding belly putters. Will we have cause to hold our noses come the final putt?