On the rare occasion when I hit a decent golf shot as I hack my way around some par-3 course of little or no distinction, my playing partner will usually ask something along the lines of ” what ya hit that one with?”.  It’s an indictment on my enthusiasm for the game when I have to turn the club around and have a look myself before I can answer him.

Those with a greater appreciation for the game will automatically know what club to select prior to hitting each shot.  They will have calculated the distance to the pin and from years of practice will know exactly what club is required to reach it.  They become comfortable with a particular make of club, and will only consider deviating from that make when they inevitably hit a slump in form or an newer, superior club becomes available.  It’s an exact science.

For Phil Mickelson, the world number 2, that slump never really materialised, and he has used the same Ping clubs for over twenty years.  However, the Ping wedges he uses have a unique U-shaped groove on the club face, which allows for greater ball-control and provides the opportuntiy to create more back-spin when required.  Since their initial production, the legality of these U-shaped clubs have continually been challenged, and in 1990, the PGA Tour declared that all wedges must have the traditional V-shaped grooves.

Ping, facing a huge loss in revenue, challenged this decision in a legal case that eventually reached a compromise.  All Ping wedges manufactured before 1990 were deemed legitimate PGA Tour clubs, but ones made after that year were banned.  It was through this loop-hole that Mickelson was allowed to continue his long term love-affair with the Ping wedge.

Mickelson, one of the Tour’s most respected players, subsequently rose through the ranks with 45 tour wins, three of those coming in one of golf’s four Majors.  However, the niggling question of Mickelson’s use of the Ping wedge never really went away, and it all came to a head recently in an incident that almost ended up in the courts.

On Jan 28th, during the San Diego Open, Scott McCarron was asked what he thought of Mickelson’s continued use of the controversial clubs.  McCarron, a Tour professional since 1992, and a member of the Tour Player’s Advisory Council, responded by saying  “It’s cheating, and I’m appalled Phil has put it in play”

Mickelson was understandably less than impressed, but while he spoke of possible legal action, other pro’s, including Lee Westwood, weighed in with their take on the issue.

So who was the winner?  Well, no-one really.  McCarron had to make a swift retraction of his statements, probably aware of the potential cost of a legal case of this magnitude.  Mickelson, although claiming the moral victory and with his dignity no doubt intact, conceded that maybe it was time to open the purse-strings and invest in a new set of wedges.

And as luck would have it, Mickelson’s decision coincided with The PGA’s implentation of a total ban on all U-shaped wedges with immediate effect, following an announcement from Ping CEO John Solheim.  Great timing Phil!