Keegan denies legal action against USGA

• By Jason Sobel
• Nov 27, 2012 5:30 PM ET

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Clarifying comments he recently made that were interpreted as a threat to take legal action against golf’s governing bodies if they banned anchored putting, Keegan Bradley maintained Tuesday that he hasn’t broached that avenue and possibly never will.

“I never said the word ‘sue’; I never said the words ‘legal action.’ Somehow it got twisted around into that,” Bradley said from Sherwood Country Club, site of this week’s World Challenge. “I have total respect for [executive director] Mike Davis and the USGA, and they are doing what they think is best for the game, and I respect that. That doesn't mean that I'm happy with the decision, but I respect what they're trying to do. They're definitely not trying to make the game worse, I know that.”

Asked whether legal recourse could be a future route, Bradley explained, “I haven't even thought that far. I don't even know if that's even possible.”

While playing the WGC-HSBC Champions tournament recently, he said, “I'm going to do whatever I have to do to protect myself and the other players on Tour. 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.”

Bradley is one of three players in the past two years to have won a major championship while using an anchored putter. Another is Webb Simpson, who sounded even less likely to pursue that course of action should the expected decision be handed down this week.

“Honestly, in my heart, for me to seek legal action would be – if I get to a point where I want to use a belly putter that bad,” the reigning U.S. Open champion said. “Whether I want to get on the team with the guys that are or not, I don't know yet.”

Simpson revealed that he has been using a standard length putter in non-competitive rounds and may start using one in PGA Tour events as early as the first few months of the 2013 season.