McCarron apologises for calling Mickelson a cheat

FROM THE STUFF.CO.NZ WEBSITE
Scott McCarron has apologised to fellow American golfer Phil Mickelson for implying that the world number two had cheated by using a 20-year-old Ping-Eye 2 wedge at last week's San Diego Open.
The pair had a 10min conversation after PGA Tour players met commissioner Tim Finchem at Riviera Country Club yesterday to discuss the lingering debate over the legality of square grooves.
Under United States Golf Association (USGA) rules implemented on January 1, square or U-grooves have been outlawed but the Ping-Eye 2 wedge is deemed legal because of a lawsuit won by its manufacturer over the USGA in 1990.
"I would like to apologise to Phil Mickelson for the comments that I made," McCarron said in the build-up to this week's Northern Trust Open.
"We had a very nice conversation ... and we both realise that we are on the same page on this issue. We think it's an issue that clearly needs to be resolved.
"This issue should have been solved by January 1st and unfortunately there is a lot of legal haggling that has to go on ... before we can actually do something about the rule."
The new rules relating to clubface grooves were implemented after research found modern configurations could allow players to generate almost as much spin with irons from the rough as from the fairway.
All clubs, with the exception of drivers and putters, have been affected by the change, which limits groove volume and groove-edge sharpness, effectively replacing U-grooves with V-grooves.
McCarron told the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper last week that use of the square-grooved Ping wedge amounted to cheating and he was appalled Mickelson and others had put the club in play.
Yesterday, however, McCarron criticised the USGA and the US PGA Tour for not anticipating the Ping groove problem well before January 1.
"I don't think they believed many players would be using a 20-year-old wedge but if you've got a wedge that actually puts more spin on it, then guys are going to use it," he said.
"They have every right to be able to use it. It is legal. I would just like to see everybody play the same clubs. At the moment, we can't.
"There are many guys out here on tour who are under contract and who can't play those (Ping wedges). They don't have an option to play them."
McCarron, a veteran of 16 years on the US PGA Tour and a member of the circuit's player advisory council, expected the rule to be changed "within 90 to 120 days".
He added: "If we're going to start this process, I think it will take somewhere around that period of time. There are a few options and commissioner Finchem will discuss them tomorrow."
Finchem had initially been scheduled to hold a news conference after the meeting with the players but that has been pushed back to today.