JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The 20-year-old Ping wedges with square-shaped grooves will no longer be allowed on the PGA Tour starting March 29 under an agreement reached Monday with Ping executives.
John Solheim, the chairman and CEO of Ping, said the Phoenix-based company is waiving its right that had kept the PGA Tour from banning Ping Eye2 wedges made before April 1, 1990, that have deeper, wide grooves no longer allowed under new USGA regulations.
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Those wedges were allowed through a 1990 settlement after Ping sued the PGA Tour and U.S. Golf Association. Phil Mickelson, Hunter Mahan, John Daly and Fred Couples were among players who used the Ping wedges. It had become such a divisive issue that Scott McCarron, a member of the PGA Tour’s Players Advisory Council, accused Mickelson of “cheating” by using the club.
Ping also said it will apply the waiver to the U.S. Open.
The waiver takes effect after the Arnold Palmer Invitational from March 25-28 and will apply on the PGA Tour, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour. It will not apply to amateur competitions.
In return for the waiver, Solheim is hopeful equipment companies will have a stronger voice when the USGA makes new rules.
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