Golf's governing bodies are considering placing a ban on the use of long-handled putters, it has been confirmed.
Els: Getting an unfair advantage?
Following Ernie Els' win at The Open on Sunday, three of the last four major winners have all used long-handled putters.
Like Els, this year's US Open champion Webb Simpson and 2011 US PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley all used long-handle putters. Adam Scott, runner-up at The Open, makes use of the same piece of equipment.
Peter Dawson, chief executive of the Royal and Ancient Club, admitted that the issue of long-handle putters was coming under the microscope.
"This decision has not been taken, but I think we are going to say something in a few months rather than years," said Dawson.
"There are further discussions to be had, but if the rule is changed it would come into effect on January 1 2016."
The rules of golf are altered on a four-year cycle, with 2016 the soonest opportunity to make any change.
Dawson insists that the performances of Els and Scott are not the reasons for the debate, with the issue a long-standing one.
"I'm not sure if it's true, but this may be the first one (major) where we have had the winner and runner-up with long putters," he said.
"Let me say that the Open Championship result does not have a direct bearing on the discussions about long and belly putters.
"The situation is that the R&A and the USGA do have this subject firmly back on the radar," he added.
"We appreciate that there is much speculation about this and that we need to clarify the position as soon as possible.
"The initial determination has been that we are examining the subject from a method of stroke standpoint rather than length of putter standpoint."
The rules of golf state that one ''cannot push, scrape or spoon as a method of playing a stroke''. The main objection to the long-handle putters is that it allows a player to anchor the putter against their belly rather than stroking freely.
''It's quite difficult to define anchoring, so that is exercising the mind of the rules committee,'' admitted the R&A chief.
"Is that anchoring where the arm is anchored against the chest but not the handle of the club and so on.''
Dawson insists that the possible change in ruling should in no way take the gloss off Els' achievement.
"It doesn't detract in any way from the winner as long as he obeys the rules of play at the time. Bobby Jones used concave-faced clubs for some of his major championships and they were outlawed later," he said.
"Bobby Jones's victories are in no way demeaned as a result of that and I see that in exactly the same way."
Els himself famously questioned the legitimacy of using long-handed putters saying: "As long as it's legal, I'll keep cheating with the rest of them."
golf365.com