RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – Jodi Ewart Shadoff would love to add her name to the recent major championship winners who anchor their putters.
Ewart Shadoff shot an even-par 72 Friday at the Kraft Nabisco, good for a tie for the lead at 4-under 140 when the morning wave finished. She took up a belly putter late in 2011 just a month before going to LPGA Q-School.
Three of the last five major championship winners in men’s golf have anchored their putters. Sherri Steinhauer is the only woman who has won a major anchoring. She won the Women’s British Open in 2006 with a long putter.
“All you have to do is look at my putting stats to know it’s not a huge advantage,” Ewart Shadoff said. “To be honest, if they do decide to ban it, it wouldn’t be a huge deal.”
Ewart Shadoff ranks 127th on tour in putting average this season. If her belly putter would have been more cooperative Friday, she could have really separated herself. She missed a couple short birdie chances.
Ewart Shadoff competed as Jodi Ewart until marrying Adam Shadoff, a sportscaster in Sarasota, Fla., in January. She was asked if her husband would lead his SNN Local News 6 sportscast with her story if she won Sunday. The Final Four games are Saturday and Shadoff attended Syracuse.
“I would hope my highlights, but he’s a huge Syracuse fan,” Ewart Shadoff said. “Since the semifinals are on Saturday, I don’t know.”