Officials at the PGA Tour and Ping announced today that the club manufacturer will waive its court-ordered mandate that prevented the tour from prohibiting use of pre-April 1990 Ping Eye 2 irons and wedges at tour events.
The agreement will prohibit use of the clubs, effective March 29, at events governed by PGA Tour rules, including all events on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour and Champions Tour. Amateur golfers may continue using the clubs at events played under USGA rules.
The older clubs do not have grooves that comply with the 2010 condition of competition adopted for PGA Tour events this season. But they had been grandfathered in because of Ping’s court-mandated victory in a lawsuit. Tim Finchem, PGA Tour commissioner, praised Ping CEO John Solheim for agreeing to the waiver.
In a statement, Solheim said the decision to bring conformity to the grooves used by professional golfers “levels the playing field on the PGA Tour” and is in “the best interests of golf.”
_ Jimmy Burch
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