Was Mickelson just stirring the pot?

Is it possible that Phil Mickelson had a controversial pre-1990 Ping Eye 2 wedge in his bag during the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines just to make golf's ruling bodies look silly?

Several golf writers who follow the tour on a regular basis are wondering just that as the controversy over the square-grooved club continues to rage.

"I don't think there's that much difference between this club that I'm using and my other wedge," Mickelson said last weekend. "So there's a very good chance that I'll switch back, but not for the reason that I think I've been doing something wrong."

Last Friday, after being criticized by fellow pro Scott McCarron for using the Ping Eye 2 wedge, Mickelson said: "We have 'legal and conforming' grooves, and we have 'approved for play,' and I have sent in legal grooves that have not been approved, and these grooves (that he played last weekend) in my opinion are, just like Scott felt, are non-conforming grooves, but they are approved."

It sounded like something one would hear from a high-paid lawyer that clears up nothing.

Then the PGA Tour issued this statement: "Leading up to the implementation, we have been aware that under the USGA Rules of Golf, the pre-1990 clubs would be allowed and that there was the potential that some players might choose to use them. We will monitor this situation as we move forward and under Tournament Regulations, we do have the ability to make a local rule which would not allow the clubs. There's been no decision made at this time."

That decision might be announced today by PGA commissioner Tim Finchem. Oldgolfdawg hopes for any ruling that will make the controversy go away. Most people just don't care, and many players on the tour just want to play golf.

The idea to make the game harder just because elite players like Tiger Woods and Mickelson can hit biting shots out of the rough with the square-grooved wedges was a bad one from the get-go. Ninety-nine percent of people who golf don't need to have the game made any harder. The new rule doesn't go into effect for the general public for 14 years. But the long lag time won't change anything. When was the last time you heard of anybody quitting the game because it was too easy?