Keegan Bradley might sue if belly putter is banned

The USGA and the R&A, the governing bodies of all things golf, are expected by the end of the year to rule on whether or not long putters – and more specifically, anchoring of putters against the player's body – will remain legal.

A growing census among players on professional tours throughout the world thinks anchoring will be outlawed.

If so, Keegan Bradley probably won't go quietly to the golf course – or possibly the courtroom. Bradley, the first player to win a major championship using a long putter anchored to his body, told Golfweek'sAlex Miceli in China that he is considering talking golf's governing bodies to court if such a ban is set forth.

"I'm going to do whatever I have to do to protect myself and the other players on (the PGA) Tour," said Bradley, who won the 2011 PGA Championship. "I look at it as a whole, as us all together. I don't look at it as much about myself. I think that for them to ban this after we've done what we've done is unbelievable."

Many players, including Tim Clark and 2012 U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson, have said the expected ruling banning anchoring will not be met without a fight. And Ernie Els, who once said as long as anchoring was legal "I will keep cheating like the rest of them," said legal matters will come in the ruling's aftermath. "It's going to be a bit of an issue now. I've been against it, but since I've been using it, it still takes a lot of practice, and you have to perfect your own way of putting with this belly," Els said in China. Els won the 2012 British Open with a long putter anchored to his belly.