Appeals Court Says Touring Pros Allowed to Use Square Grooves

SAN FRANCISCO —  The PGA Tour suffered a legal setback Wednesday less than 24 hours before the opening round of the U.S. Open when an appeals court upheld an injunction allowing touring professionals to use clubs with square grooves.

The decision, handed down by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, set the scene for a high-stakes antitrust showdown in an Arizona courtroom as early as October between Karsten Manufacturing Company, the designer of the square-grooved Ping Eye 2 irons, and the PGA Tour.

PGA Tour Commissioner Deane Beman said his organization would continue its legal campaign to protect the tour’s right to dictate what kind of equipment professionals can use.

“This decision, based on procedural issues, and not the merits, does not diminish our confidence,” he said.

The scene was set for the long legal battle back in 1984 when the United States Golf Assn. changed its rules to allow square-grooved clubs along with the tradition V-shaped variety.

Almost immediately, the clubs became a source of controversy as some touring professionals complained that they provided an unfair advantage because they put more spin on the ball.