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Scott: Don't listen to Tiger about belly putters

Adam Scott is looking for another win in Singapore this week © PA Photos

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Adam Scott believes it would be wrong for golf's governing bodies to ban the use of controversial long putters.

Australian Scott has used one of the long putters - which anchor into the abdomen or chest of the user, creating a 'pivot' that makes putting on line easier for some players - for over 18 months, coming close on a number of occasions since to winning his maiden major championship.

In July he was foiled by another belly putter user, Ernie Els, at the Open Championship - as the South African became the third champion in the last four majors to use a longer flatstick, after Keegan Bradley at the 2011 US PGA Championship and Webb Simpson at this year's US Open.

The design of the putters, and the success exponents have had recently, has led other players including Tiger Woods to call for them to be banned - but Scott believes that would be a foolish route to take.

"His voice carries some weight on the issue, a lot of players have been quite outspoken about it and certainly when Tiger Woods speaks about it generates a lot of interest," Scott said. "But I'm not necessarily sure his views on what the putter should be are correct at all.

"I don't think the putter should be the shortest club in the bag, that has never been a rule in golf so I don't know why it should be now."

Scott revealed that he has recently spoken with European Tour chief George O'Grady about plans for the long putter, such are his concerns about reports of an impending ban.

"My conversation was to find out where things sit because it is very hard to get information," Scott told reporters on Tuesday. "My opinion would be I don't think it is in the best interests of the game to ban the long putter I think there are some more important issues that probably should have time spent on them than putting."

Scott believes the priority for the powers-that-be should be to deal with the length the golf ball travels in the modern game, with cutting-edge equipment rendering many courses defenceless.

"I think that it is fairly well acknowledged that length generally is probably the biggest issue in the game and it doesn't just mean how far pros hit it," the Australian noted.

"Some of our courses, great courses are too short these days. If we are talking about equipment side of things the length issue is probably the most important because tees are moved back. Greens are not changed because people are putting with a long putter."

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