Player and Watson
Disagree Over Palmer

Gary Player is backing Arnold Palmer in his disagreement with the United States Golf Association over non-conforming drivers.

Palmer believes that non-conforming drivers, such as the Callaway ERC II, have their place in recreational golf - a view which led the USGA to
threaten to fire him as chairman of their membership programme.

But Player said: "The USGA are the ones to blame, not Arnold Palmer. I
find the USGA particularly arrogant on this issue.

"Arnold Palmer has a higher integrity than anyone in the game. He has done as much for golf as anyone. He has been patient with people, patient with the press. He has given of himself all his life.

"It's a shock to me to see how people have treated him. It's a shock to me to see how the USGA has treated him."

Tom Watson, on the other hand, does not agree with Palmer. "I think Arnold Palmer made a big mistake endorsing USGA illegal clubs for recreational use simply because I don't think it (non-conforming equipment) can stop there," said the five times Open champion.

Watson was surprised a manufacturer had not unveiled "a recreational golf ball" that goes 25 per cent farther at the recent PGA Merchandise Show.

"That is something they (manufacturers) can do. Just so we can have more
fun playing the game? No. People like to compare themselves to everybody
else in golf. It has always been that way. Yes, everyone wants to find
equipment to help his or her game, but there are rules. We don't want to
cross that line and he obviously has.

"I hope he backtracks and recognises that the game is about rules."