Carl Pettersson calls anchoring ban a “witch hunt”

Carl Pettersson has been using a long putter for 16 years and he is not happy about the USGA and R&A’s proposal to ban the way he uses his belly bat.

The 35-year-old Pettersson, at Kapalua for this week’s Tournament of Champions, had been close-mouthed on the decision that golf’s rules-makers handed down in November. Wednesday, he broke that silence when he told the Associated Press’ Doug Ferguson he believed the game’s overseers were on a “witch hunt” for anchoring scofflaws.

The winner of the 2012 Heritage Classic said he planned to keep using his long stick and would determine at a later date whether to take any action against the proposal.

Pettersson won at Hilton Head with a Nike Method prototype belly putter in the bag.