Hank Gola’s New York Daily news article nails down the issues in Phil Mickelson vs. Scott McCarron.
From the article:
“It raised the hackles of journeyman pro Scott McCarron, who blasted Lefty.
“It’s cheating and I’m appalled Phil has put it in play,” McCarron told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Tiger a cad? Phil a cheat? What has the honorable game come to?
Except Mickelson isn’t a cheat. Cheating is knowingly putting an illegal club in the bag. Mickelson’s equipment conforms to USGA regulations.
Let’s back up. Golf’s governing body decided to outlaw irons with square grooves because they make it too easy to apply backspin from the rough on short shots, virtually negating rough as a hazard and taking a skill out of the game. But under a lawsuit the PING company settled with the USGA over another issue 20 years ago, any square-grooved PING Eye 2 wedge made before 1990 is deemed legal because the lawsuit takes precedence over any rule change.
Mickelson, who shot a 70 Saturday and trails leader Ryuji Imada by four shots heading into the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open, heard about John Daly using one in the second tournament of the year in Hawaii and remembered he had one in his garage.
There had been some grousing when Daly and others were playing them, but not until Mickelson used one did it become a full-blown controversy.
Without mentioning McCarron by name, Mickelson said Saturday he had been “publicly slandered,” but he put the onus on the USGA.”
Great, just what the Tour needed, war on a second front. Now Scott will get a lesson in the star system – service on the PGA Tour Player Advisory Committee or no service on an important committee. Well it’s just another “man or a mouse moment” for Tim Finchem to shrink from. What a place he runs…pamper, enable, excuse, and obey. Just leave your cash in the till when you’re done.
