Phil Mickelson has been accused of "cheating" by Scott McCarron after choosing to put a 20-year-old wedge in his bag.
World number two accused in wedge row
Phil Mickelson has been accused of "cheating" by fellow PGA Tour player Scott McCarron after choosing to put a 20-year-old wedge in his bag.
World number two Mickelson has opted to use a Ping i2 wedge to circumnavigate new rules regarding grooves on club faces.
New regulations have come into force for professionals, with "boxed" grooves now outlawed in favour of more "v" shaped grooves in order to try and reduce the amount of spin players can impart on the ball.
However, while the Ping i2 wedge features the grooves now banned by golf's authorities, a lawsuit in the early 1990s led to Ping wedges manufactured before 1990 being allowed to be put in play and several tour players have opted to use them, with Mickelson the most high-profile.
His decision has not found favour with 44-year-old McCarron, who feels Mickelson's actions are not within the spirit of the game.
"It's cheating, and I'm appalled Phil has put it in play," McCarron was quoted as saying by the
San Francisco Chronicle.
California-native McCarron is a member of the PGA Tour Players' Committee and Mickelson agreed with him in principle that he was exploiting a loophole.
Terrible rule
"I agree that it's a terrible rule," Mickelson declared following his second round at the Farmers Insurance Open.
"To change something that has this kind of loophole is nuts. But it's not up to me or any other player to interpret what the rule is or the spirit of the rule.
"I understand black and white. And I think that myself or any other player is allowed to play with those clubs because they're approved. End of story."
When asked to respond directly to McCarron's accusations of cheating, Mickelson added: "I think rather than answer that directly, I think what he's saying is the rule is a terrible rule, and I agree.
"I'm just as upset. The difference is I've been talking with Dick Rugge of the USGA and talking to (PGA Tour) commissioner (Tim Finchem) and explaining this behind closed doors, how ridiculous all this is.
"I don't agree with the way he (McCarron) carried on about it, but that's his choice.
"All my clubs are approved for play, and I take that very seriously not to violate any rule. It's not my job or the job of any of the players to try to interpret the spirit of the rule or the intent.
"I understand approved or not approved. I didn't make this rule. I don't agree with the rule, but I'm abiding by it."
Finchem backing
It appears that Mickelson has the backing of PGA Tour supremo Finchem who said of the issue on January 19: "It is a bit of a loophole, but last year we looked carefully at this, and our experts did not view this distinction of any significance.
"So rather than part ways with the USGA in terms of what they would have to do at the US Open, at that time we elected to stay the course.
"We just the other day reviewed the data again. We just don't see any competitive advantage, any material competitive advantage to a player by going back and getting a club that was made pre-1990.
"But we'll continue to evaluate it. But at this point in time we don't see any erosion of competitive balance because of that particular situation."
