A little more than two years ago, we first heard about anchoring and the proposed new rule. Then several months ago, when the USGA announced the 2016 changes to the Rules of Golf, anchoring again was in the spotlight. Rule 14-1b, which banned the anchored stroke, was one of the four major changes to the 2016 edition. For the first two weeks on the PGA Tour this year, we’ve been hearing more about the absence of anchoring and had yet to run into any issues with the rule itself.
In the final round of the Sony Open at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Zac Blair used a fairway wood to play a chip from the fringe on the 71st hole.