Arnold Palmer made it clear that he is not being paid to endorse Callaway Golf's nonconforming driver, and is simply "endorsing people having fun playing golf.''
The 70-year-old golfer addressed the controversial topic tonight during a live 90-minute interview with The Golf Channel's Peter Kessler. Palmer, TGC's chairman, signed a 12-year endorsement deal with Callaway last year.
"I'm not recommending that people use a nonconforming golf club
in competition,'' Palmer said of U.S. Golf Association rules. "But
for people who go out and enjoy the game of golf -- recreational
golfers -- if they want to use a nonconforming club, if they want to
use a baseball bat, whatever they want to use, I think that's their
privilege if it makes the game a little more fun for them to
play.''
Palmer, the longtime USGA advocate and chairman of its Members
Program, was criticized last year following Callaway's decision to
sell the ERC II driver in the United States.
"I've had so many letters from people that are saying things to
me that hurt me. They have really hurt me,'' Palmer said. "Some of
my good friends have crushed me with some of their letters and some
of their comments.
"And there have been things like 'cheating' used in their
comments about nonconforming golf clubs. The last thing in the
world that I would ever tolerate is cheating. If you said it to me
sitting here, I'd probably punch you in the nose right now. And I
mean it because I don't think I ever cheated playing golf.''
Palmer uses Callaway's conforming VFT driver in competition.
The USGA ruled the ERC II illegal because of the spring-like
effect. The governing body adopted a test in 1998 to measure the
trampoline effect in thin-faced drivers, which are said to cause
the ball to travel as many as 30 yards farther.
The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews -- golf's governing
body everywhere except the United States and Mexico -- concluded in
September that there is no need for a test to measure the
spring-like effect. That decision left the golf world with two sets
of equipment regulations.
"I just want to see this thing settled,'' Palmer said. "I have
enough faith in the USGA and the R&A and the golfers of this world
to think that this will be solved.''
