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Arnie's no 'turncoat' Palmer's stance on ERC consistent with his persona
Updated: Friday October 20, 2000 6:51 PM
Callaway Golf’s carefully orchestrated request that the U.S. Golf Association tacitly approve the use of clubs that do not conform to the Rules of Golf is sure to divide golfers into two camps: those who adhere to the letter of the law and those who wink at the rules anyway. hold the rules in escalate the tension between advancing club technology and the guardians of the game. Saying he wanted to “change attitudes,” company chairman Ely Callaway asked that the USGA look the other way and “not stigmatize” golfers who choose to buy and use the company’s new non-conforming driver, the ERC II, for recreational golf. He also called for what he termed a truce with the USGA and said his company had no plans to take any legal action against the USGA. Callaway and the company’s newest endorser, Arnold Palmer, argued that the majority of the nation’s 26 million golfers do not really play by the Rules of Golf in the first place, because they do things like concede putts, take mulligans, carry more than 14 clubs and ignore the stroke-and-distance (out-of- bounds) rule. The USGA has long taken pride in holding the line on rules, believing that once the line is crossed, anarchy will prevail. The association also opposes a two- tiered rule system, one for so-called competitive golf and one for recreational golf. Officials say that it would be next to impossible to determine where one ends and the other begins. The biggest surprise of last Wednesday’s press conference in Carlsbad, Calif., is that Palmer disagrees. Long a public advocate of the USGA, the chairman of its membership arm for nearly two decades, and an outspoken advocate of new rules that will curtail the distance tournament players are hitting the ball, the 71-year-old Palmer nonetheless said, “I do not believe that the ERC II driver is a threat to the basic nature of the game.” That made the USGA appear like a team that had lost its most valuable player to its biggest rival. But Palmer insisted there is no inconsistency in his stance. He says he only approves of the non-conforming driver for recreational play, and primarily for the double digit handicappers who make up the vast majority of the world’s golfers. He did not advocate the ERC II driver being ruled conforming by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, which sets the rules for the world outside of the U.S. and Mexico. Currently, Callaway’s ERC driver, ruled non- conforming by the USGA, is approved for tournament play by the R&A. “I think Callaway Golf’s new policy in the U.S. is good for golf,” said Palmer, who recently signed a 12-year endorsement contract with the company. “I believe this driver will have a tremendous appeal to all of us golfers who very often go out on the course simply to enjoy this great game with family and friends.” Asked if he was in essence advocating two sets of rules, Palmer said, “It’s already that way. The game the recreational golfer plays is nothing like tournament golf. I’m simply in favor of making the game more fun for the average person.” USGA executive director David Fay did not call Palmer a turncoat. “At first I was taken aback by his comments,” Fay admitted, “but I want to talk to Arnold to see exactly what he’s driving at. I don’t see a conflict with his representing the USGA. I expect him to work on our behalf, and I certainly hope he will. I know Arnold is saying what he truly believes. Arnold doesn’t need Callaway. "Arnold is not a person who sells out. That’s a contradiction in terms.” In the big picture, Palmer’s comments are consistent with who he is. As much as he has been an advocate for the USGA, Palmer’s most important place in history is as a popularizer who has brought the game to the masses. Now he is promoting a club aimed at them. That persona and accompanying credibility works in Callaway’s favor, and may ultimately alter some attitudes.
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