There's a certain hypocrisy in Scott McCarron describing Phil Mickelson’s use of a 20-year-old Ping Eye 2 sand wedge as cheating. As you've probably heard, the Ping Eye 2 irons were declared legal to use on The PGA Tour despite the recent ban on wedges with such grooves. The reason is simple – The PGA Tour had no choice. The Ping wedges were approved for play through a lawsuit filed by Ping against the USGA and the PGA Tour back in 1990. That decision supersedes any subsequent rule changes instituted by the USGA or the PGA Tour. We know it as a "grandfathered" law.
I don't understand how using a club approved for play under the existing Rules is cheating. It doesn’t matter if it was grandfathered, against the spirit of the game or supposedly advantageous to those who use it – the rules are the rules. And they are the same for every player.
McCarron’s protestations are a bit two-faced since his career was saved by the long putter, a club many feel is “cheating” and should be outlawed. Tom Watson, through all of his putting woes, has steadfastly refused to use the long putter because he thinks it violates the spirit of the game. But he has never called anyone who uses the long putter a cheater because the rules permit its use. Whether Watson agrees with its legitimacy doesn’t matter – it’s within the rules. If McCarron feels the Ping Eye 2 wedge will make someone play better, then he should consider using it just like he is using the long putter. There’s really no difference in the eyes of the rules.
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The LPGA is in very capable hands with the appointment of Mike Whan as its newest Commissioner. I worked with Mike for several years when he was the VP of Marketing at TaylorMade and he is the real deal. Smart, creative, instinctive, open-minded, and most importantly, likeable. He brings out the best in those who work around him – did it at Proctor and Gamble, at TaylorMade, at Mission Hockey and he’ll likely do it again at the LPGA. And he loves golf.
My favorite Mike Whan story shows how he works. He had charged me with investigating and developing a custom publication for TaylorMade, an idea I had originally proposed to him and the president of the company. So I contacted several companies who specialized in this type of marketing and brought them into meet Mike and the marketing staff. After two rounds of interviews and several more scheduled, Mike turns to me and says, “I’ve made my choice. You (meaning me) will develop the publication from start to finish. These guys you brought in don’t know my company. You do. We’ll give you the time and support to learn the ins and outs of custom publishing, and you will get it done.”
Within a year, TaylorMade marketed “Pure” magazine on a quarterly basis to 300,000 of its most loyal customers. It was a successful marketing venture and continued through Whan’s tenure at TaylorMade. He not only took a chance on a concept, but also entrusted an employee, and that goes a long way in building a successful team. The LPGA, more than anything, needs someone who can think outside of the box and rally a team behind him. |
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