Mickelson and McCarron Spar Over Ping Wedge Grooves

by Andres Romay

Last week at Torrey Pines, things looked off.  The tournament that has been known as the Buick Invitational was now the Farmers Insurance Open. Tiger Woods, winner of three of the last four was missing, and Phil Mickelson had an antique wedge in his bag.  The news of the weekend should have been the victory by Ben Crane who hadn’t won since the 2005 season, but instead the weekend’s event was marred by slander and bickering between Scott McCarron and the beloved “Lefty.”

The Ping Eye 2 Wedge was grandfathered into play due to a lawsuit between Ping and the PGA

What happened?  To give a quick recap, for this season, the PGA has created a rule change, mandating the use of irons with less groove sharpness and volume, outlawing U-Grooves or square grooves.  The thought is that these “square grooves” give the pros an unfair advantage because they are able to put such spin on the ball and gain better control out of the rough.  Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, there was a loophole; the Ping Eye2 wedges.  In a lawsuit and settlement many years ago between Ping and the PGA, all Ping Eye2 wedges that were manufactured prior to April 1, 1990 could never be banned from the tour, no matter the rule change.  What happened next is what created all the hoopla.  Phil Mickelson, John Daly and a few others found these clubs and put them in their bag for last weekend’s tournament, and because of this loophole, were able to use them without recourse.  In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Scott McCarron stated: “It’s cheating and I am appalled Phil has put it in play.”

This statement created a whirlwind of controversy, Phil shot back, “Everyone has their opinion and so forth, and it is healthy to talk about it, but when you cross that line and slander someone publicly, that’s when the tour needs to step in.”  Other tour professionals were shocked at the comments, “Yeah, I didn’t care for his words, with using those words so closely together, cheating and Phil Mickelson,” Steve Stricker said  “We have enough going on in our sport right now where we don’t need any more attention to something like this.”  Even three-time major champion Padraig Harrington expressed his position, ‘the rule needs to be black and white, and the problem is that the rule is black and white, it’s legal.’  Harrington continued “But while they are out there being used, it’s difficult for anyone who’s competitive not to go out there and take full advantage of somebody else is.”  He showed up at Riviera this week with his own Ping Eye2 wedges, still unsure if he would use them in competition; he wanted to test them out to at least have the option.

Scott McCarron

When we asked a local, Denver-based golf pro what kind of competitive advantage the wedge gives Mickelson, he said, “He has always been one of, if not the top wedge player on tour, so it is difficult to judge what sort of advantage the club will give him.  If him carrying the Ping wedge somehow improves his driving and putting, then we will start to wonder.”

As was expected, McCarron retracted his statement.  “I am certainly sorry” McCarron stated last night in a press conference at Riviera “I’d like to apologize to Phil Mickelson for the comments I made.  I think we both realize that we’re on the same page on this issue. I answered a question, and I’m really sorry that I singled out a player.”  It looks like he feels remorse about naming Phil, leaving out the others who used those clubs, but it is clear that he does not appreciate the use of those clubs by any of the pros on tour.  Maybe, like many, he feels that it gives the player who uses them an unfair advantage, maybe he feels that it is hurting the purity of the game.  Whatever his reasoning, perhaps attacking the world’s #2 golfer, and a short game wizard was not the best way to go.