Pebble Beach leader Bhatia defends putter length after Instagram question
Akshay Bhatia, the co-leader at the midway point of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, took to Instagram on Friday (ET) to respond to a social media user who suggested his long putter might have crossed the line into anchoring. Bhatia pushed back, saying his putter was "literally 2 inches short of my chest" and that he was not anchoring the club.
Instagram exchange spotlights anchoring debate
The social-media comment, posted on top of a picture of Bhatia putting with a long putter, raised the possibility that touching clothing or the body might be used to hide an anchoring violation. The commenter questioned the rule framework, saying that while anchoring was banned, there was no specific cap on putter length and that incidental contact with clothing could make enforcement difficult.
About an hour later (ET), Bhatia replied to that post: "Not anchoring. Literally 2 inches short of my chest haha. " The brief exchange ended the online back-and-forth quickly, but it reignited conversation about how officials interpret and enforce the anchoring prohibition in competitive play.
Rule 10. 1b and what it allows
The current rule that governs anchoring, Rule 10. 1b, took effect on Jan. 1, 2016 (ET). Its language explains the line between allowed and disallowed technique. Key passages read:
"In making a stroke, the player must not anchor the club, either: Directly, by holding the club or a gripping hand against any part of the body (except that the player may hold the club or a gripping hand against a hand or forearm); or Indirectly, through use of an 'anchor point, ' by holding a forearm against any part of the body to use a gripping hand as a stable point around which the other hand may swing the club. "
The rule adds that if a club, gripping hand or forearm merely touches the body or clothing during the stroke without being held against the body, there is no breach. For the rule's purposes, "forearm" is defined as the part of the arm below the elbow joint and includes the wrist.
That wording is intended to distinguish between deliberate anchoring and incidental contact, but it leaves room for debate in close cases — particularly when longer putters are in play.
On-course context: strong putting, recent form and team dynamics
Bhatia had been rolling long putts throughout the week: 59 feet worth of putts at Pebble Beach on Thursday and another 71 feet at Spyglass Hill on Friday. His results left him sharing the 36-hole lead at the tournament's midway point.
The week is part of a larger early-season uptick. After missing the cut in his first two starts of the year, Bhatia finished tied for third last week at the WM Phoenix Open. He said he’d found improvements in both his swing and his putting, and credited growing chemistry with his caddie, Joe Greiner, for helping him feel more consistent on the course.
"Everyone’s always a little anxious to start the year, " Bhatia said. "I’m the same person, but just found some stuff in my golf swing, which was really nice. Found some stuff in my putting, which was really nice. Joe and I are still really fresh, but we’re starting to kind of mesh together where when we walk up to a shot, we’re kind of on the same page all the time. "
For now, Bhatia's Instagram reply closed the immediate controversy, but the exchange underscores that equipment, technique and the fine line the rules draw between legal contact and anchoring remain topics of scrutiny whenever long putters are involved.
