Anchored putters: We look at their use by previous major winners ahead of ban

From January 1, 2016 the anchored putter is to be banned from all competitive golf, meaning the 97th PGA Championship was the final time we will see the club used at a major.

Under the new ruling 14-1b, a player will no longer be able to 'anchor the club, either "directly" or by use of an anchor point' when making a stroke.

“This is like cheating,” said Steve Flesch after winning the Zurich Classic with an anchored putter in 2003. 14-time major winner Tiger Woods took a dimmer view: “We swing all other 13 clubs," he said. "I think the putter should be the same. It should be a swinging motion throughout the bag.”

The profile of the putter rose considerably between 2011 and 2013, with four majors won with the use of the anchored club. We look back at the major winners to succeed with the soon-to-be-banned putter.

Keegan Bradley – 2011 PGA Championship

“It felt more comfortable,” said Bradley when he switched to the belly putter just after turning professional in 2008.

But it was three years later, when Bradley was part of a play-off with fellow American Jason Dufner at the PGA Championship, that his putting came to the fore.

The 25-year-old made back-to-back birdies to force his way into the showdown, before holing at the 16th in the play-off for a one-shot lead which proved to be enough for the then-world No 108 to lift the Wanamaker Trophy.

Webb Simpson – 2012 US Open

Simpson became the second major winner to use the club at the US Open ten months later, rising to a career-high fifth in the world.

The 26-year-old began the final day at the Olympic Club four shots adrift of co-leaders Graeme McDowell and Jim Furyk, but a spell of four birdies in five holes from the sixth followed by eight consecutive pars to close was enough to clinch the American’s first major title.

"You've got to go out there and try to make pars, and that's what I did,” he said afterwards. “And luckily I made some putts.”

Ernie Els – 2012 Open Championship

Els made it back-to-back triumphs for the belly putter in 2012 with his win at The Open, edging Australian Adam Scott, also in possession of a belly-putter, by one shot; more than 27 percent of players at the third major of the year opted for the longer putter.

In November, the USGA and R&A announced that a proposal to ban an anchored stroke would be implemented in January 2016.

Later, Commissioner Tim Finchem announced the PGA Tour's opposition to the proposed anchoring ban, saying that it is “not in the best interest of golf or the PGA Tour.”

Adam Scott – 2013 Masters

Having squandered a four-shot lead with four to play to concede the Open to Els, Scott made it four wins from six majors for the anchored-putter with his win at the Masters in 2013.

A stunning, long birdie at the last forced a play-off with Angel Cabrera at Augusta with a round of 69, but the Australian’s putting prowess hit the limelight at the 10th in the play-off, holing from 15 feet for his first major success.

The 35-year-old’s view on the anchored putter is clear: “I just don't know how they can ban it, honestly. I don't know what argument there is for it that's legitimate other than the players who don't use it saying they don't like it. It's the only one I've seen.”