PGA Champion and Ryder Cup star, Keegan Bradley plus double winning Open Champion Ernie Els have promised a fight with golf’s ruling bodies to stop the ban of the controversial belly putter.

Bradley and Els will use the belly putter in this week’s $US 7m WGC – HSBC Champions event in Shenzhen.

However golf’s ruling bodies, the St. Andrews-based R & A and the USGA, will ban the use of the club from 2016.

Keegan Bradley promising to fight back if ruling bodies go ahead and ban the belly putter. (Photo – Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)

Els vehemently slammed the putter that’s anchored to the stomach in putting but then packed the putter into his bag to win a second Open Championship last July at Royal Lytham and St. Annes.

Less than 12 months earlier, Bradley became the first player in the history of the game to use the belly putter to win a Major when he defeated fellow American Jason Dufner in capturing the 2011 PGA Championship in Atlanta.

Then in June this year, American Webb Simpson became a second belly-putting Major Champion in capturing the U.S. Open.

Els made it three Major triumphs for the putter when won a second Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St. Annes.

“I thought using the belly putter would be a simple decision guys could make but then the more you think about it, the more complicated it gets,” said Els ahead of the Chinese event.

“You take Tim Clark because his was born with his arms in a way that he finds it difficult to use a conventional length putter.

“So I believe they (R & A & USGA) are going to have a couple of legal issues coming their way.

“Carl Petterson has putted using a belly putter his whole career and there’s Keegan Bradley who also doesn’t know any other way to putt along with Webb Simpson.

“As for myself, I changed to the belly putter because I was just missing so many short putts and I felt it could help me, and in a way it did but then it’s going to be a real issue now.

Bradley, who is competing in China for a first time, said:  “It’s a pretty drastic thing for them to do us.

“They are basically saying ‘all those years and years of practice you’ve done are down the drain’.

“I hear the USGA and the R&A have talked to a lot of players about this.

“Well, they’ve never approached me or any person who putts with a belly putter. I think it’s unfair what they’re doing. I hope they really think this thing through as it would be a shame for the amateur player not to be able to use a club that helps them enjoy the game better.

“The USGA and R & A should be trying to attract people to the game rather than push them away.”

Els was asked if, as Open Champion, he had spoken with R & A CEO, Peter Dawson about the expected belly putter banning.

“Through the years I’ve have spoken with Peter but no not in the last 12 months,” said Els.

“Of course, I respect him and R & A and I respect the USGA as they tough decisions to make in looking after the game in the long run.

“But this is a big one but guys are going to argue this decision just for the reasons I’ve mentioned and because there’s guys out there who had the need or the opportunity as they have putted with nothing but the belly putter.

“We’ve had discussions but there has not been a clear answer and it’s been more of a debate.

“I remember walking into Lytham and St. Annes when I had my picture taken with some of the R & A members and we did touch on it.

“He (Dawson) didn’t say they were going to ban the belly putter only that they were going to look at it for the next rule change which in 2016 but obviously now they seem they are going to go that way and ban it.”

And Els believes the influence of the media could help turn around the intended actions of golf’s ruling bodies.an you turn the tide of the change?

“Media coverage could force the powers to be to start reading the stories,” admitted Els.

“I look at all sports and if you guys go at something it can become something they have to address eventually with all the pressure from players, media they can further consider the issue.”