If Bryson DeChambeau is the leader of the flagstick movement, Adam Scott appears to be joining his fray. Talking to reporters ahead of his 2019 debut at the Sony Open, the Aussie said he plans to leave the pin in for every putt — even if it’s a six-footer to win the Masters.
While others like Justin Thomas insist they won’t utilise this new rule, Scott acknowledged he has no problem doing something that doesn’t appeal to everyone’s eye. “As you know, I’m not a person who cares how things look,” Scott said. “I was a 30-year-old man putting with a broom stick.”
Adam Scott says he will putt with flagstick in all year. If he had a 6-foot putt to win the @TheMasters, he wouldn't care; he would leave it in. "As you know, I'm not the type of person who cares about how things look." He was referring to his use of the broomstick putter.
— Dave Shedloski (@DaveShedloski) January 9, 2019
Adam Scott says he will leave the flagstick in on every putt, even if it's a six-footer to win the Masters.
"As you know, I'm not a person who cares how things look…I was a 30-year old man putting with a broomstick."— RonGreenJr (@RonGreenJr) January 9, 2019
Scott, of course, was referring to his successful stint with a long putter, which coincided with his rise to No.1 in the Official World golf Ranking and his lone Major title at the 2013 Masters. Scott has maintained his disappointment with the USGA’s decision to ban anchored putting beginning in 2016, but he plans to use this new rule to his advantage everywhere, including on Augusta National’s slick greens.
Unless the Masters changes to thicker flagsticks (DeChambeau previously said he would pull the wider wooden pins used by the USGA at the US Open) or enacts a local rule forbidding the practice because of how it looks, it seems like a solid strategy. After all, DeChambeau led the field in strokes gained putting last week at Kapalua. If that keeps up, expect more flagstick converts to follow.
