Ernie Els says he accepts decision to ban long putters; ready to 'play ball'

VIRGINIA WATER, England – Ernie Els is ready to "play ball" even without a long putter.

The four-time major champion, who won last year's British Open with a belly putter, says the PGA Tour should accept the decision by golf's ruling bodies to ban anchoring and long-handled putters in 2016.

Els says "the argument forever will be they could have done it 25 or 30 years ago, so why now? But it is what it is and we are where we are, and they have made a decision so I think we are going to have to play ball."

Els is one of four of the last six major winners to use either a belly or long-handled putter. And he believes he wouldn't have won his most recent major with a standard-sized putter.