The anchored stroke will be banned on the PGA Tour, effective Jan. 1, 2016.
The PGA Tour's Policy Board voted on Monday to adopt Rule 14-1b, the ban of the anchored stroke that the USGA and R&A announced in May would be a part of the next edition of the Rules of Golf.
“In making its decision, the Policy Board recognized that there are still varying opinions among our membership, but ultimately concluded that while it is an important issue, a ban on anchored strokes would not fundamentally affect a strong presentation of our competitions or the overall success of the PGA our,” said PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem in a statement.
“The Board also was of the opinion that having a single set of rules on acceptable strokes applicable to all professional competitions worldwide was desirable and would avoid confusion.”
The meeting of the Policy Board took place at The Greenbrier in West Virginia, site of this week's PGA Tour event, The Greenbrier Classic.
In February, Finchem went on television during the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship to announce the Tour's opposition to the then-proposed rule as part of the 90-day comment period the governing bodies announced when they first proposed the ban in November 2012.
As part of its decision to adopt the anchoring ban, the PGA Tour implored the game's governing bodies to push out the implementation of the ban for amateur players beyond the adopted 2016 start date, similar to the schedule for how players are to use equipment that conforms to grooves standards enforced for professionals in 2008. High-level amateurs had until 2010 to comply, while recreational golfers have until 2024 to start using clubs with conforming grooves.
The PGA Tour's decision directly impacts the PGA of America, whose president Ted Bishop said recently that his organization would follow the lead of the PGA Tour.
Though the PGA Tour will go along with the governing bodies' anchoring ban and its implementation, Finchem left the door open for his organization to set their own rules in the future.
"It is not inconceivable that there may come a time in the future when the Policy Board determines that a rule adopted by the USGA, including in the area of equipment," Finchem said, "may not be in the best interests of the PGA TOUR and that a local rule eliminating or modifying such a USGA rule may be appropriate."
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