Groove row heats up amid war of words
Source: Agencies |
February 3, 2010, Wednesday
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PING chairman John Solheim reminded the PGA Tour on Monday that it cannot make a separate rule to ban Ping Eye2 wedges, the 20-year-old clubs that led Scott McCarron to claim Phil Mickelson is "cheating" by using them.
Hours after McCarron said he would "not be silenced" over the grooves controversy, the PGA Tour's situation became a little more muddled with Solheim's gentle reminder.
Mickelson was among at least four players at Torrey Pines who used the Ping wedges, which have square grooves. The USGA has a new regulation this year that shrinks the volume and softens the edges of the grooves. However, the Ping wedges made before April 1, 1990, are approved for competition because of a 1990 settlement from Ping's lawsuit against the USGA.
The PGA Tour said in a statement over the weekend that it would monitor the situation, noting it could adopt a "local rule" for tournaments that would ban the Ping wedges.
Solheim, however, said under the 1993 agreement with the PGA Tour, the tour could not adopt a separate rule if it differed from the USGA.
"The recent statement from the PGA Tour and several PGA Tour players that they could invoked a 'local rule' required us to remind the PGA Tour of the terms of the agreement," Solheim said.
Then, the chairman and CEO of Ping appeared to leave room for a compromise.
"While I fully expect the PGA Tour to honor this agreement, I'm willing to discuss a workable solution to this matter that would benefit the game and respect the role innovation has played over the long history of golf," Solheim said.
McCarron and Mickelson, meanwhile, struck no conciliatory tones.
McCarron, who has won three times in his 16-year career, issued a statement on Monday in which he wanted to clarify that while he believes "it's cheating" for Mickelson or anyone else to use the Ping wedges, "I never called Phil Mickelson a cheater."
"That being said, I want my fans, sponsors and most importantly, my fellow players, to know that I will not be silenced and I will continue my efforts to get the groove issue resolved," McCarron said.
Mickelson, the world's No. 2 player, had said over the weekend he felt "publicly slandered" and hinted at legal action if the PGA Tour does not discipline McCarron for his choice of words.
"Again, everybody has their opinions and so forth, and it's healthy to talk about it," Mickelson said on Saturday. "But when you cross that line and slander someone publicly, that's when the tour needs to step in - or someone else."
Hours after McCarron said he would "not be silenced" over the grooves controversy, the PGA Tour's situation became a little more muddled with Solheim's gentle reminder.
Mickelson was among at least four players at Torrey Pines who used the Ping wedges, which have square grooves. The USGA has a new regulation this year that shrinks the volume and softens the edges of the grooves. However, the Ping wedges made before April 1, 1990, are approved for competition because of a 1990 settlement from Ping's lawsuit against the USGA.
The PGA Tour said in a statement over the weekend that it would monitor the situation, noting it could adopt a "local rule" for tournaments that would ban the Ping wedges.
Solheim, however, said under the 1993 agreement with the PGA Tour, the tour could not adopt a separate rule if it differed from the USGA.
"The recent statement from the PGA Tour and several PGA Tour players that they could invoked a 'local rule' required us to remind the PGA Tour of the terms of the agreement," Solheim said.
Then, the chairman and CEO of Ping appeared to leave room for a compromise.
"While I fully expect the PGA Tour to honor this agreement, I'm willing to discuss a workable solution to this matter that would benefit the game and respect the role innovation has played over the long history of golf," Solheim said.
McCarron and Mickelson, meanwhile, struck no conciliatory tones.
McCarron, who has won three times in his 16-year career, issued a statement on Monday in which he wanted to clarify that while he believes "it's cheating" for Mickelson or anyone else to use the Ping wedges, "I never called Phil Mickelson a cheater."
"That being said, I want my fans, sponsors and most importantly, my fellow players, to know that I will not be silenced and I will continue my efforts to get the groove issue resolved," McCarron said.
Mickelson, the world's No. 2 player, had said over the weekend he felt "publicly slandered" and hinted at legal action if the PGA Tour does not discipline McCarron for his choice of words.
"Again, everybody has their opinions and so forth, and it's healthy to talk about it," Mickelson said on Saturday. "But when you cross that line and slander someone publicly, that's when the tour needs to step in - or someone else."
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