South Africa's British Open golf champion Ernie Els will use the belly putter for the last time at a major championship during next week's US Masters, as he phases out the controversial club ahead of a proposed worldwide ban.
The rule-making Royal and Ancient and the United States Golf Association want to outlaw the controversial anchoring of a long-handled putter to the body during the swing - a technique employed by three of the last five major winners, including Els - from 2016.
The European Tour has backed the proposal but the US PGA Tour is opposed to such a ban.
