x
Skip to main content
Golf Logo
InsideGolf Join Now  / Log In
Top gear posts of 2021: A Ryder Cup rules saga involving Harris English’s putter grip
SHARE
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share by Email
Golf Logo
  • News
    • Latest
      • News
      • Features
      • Shows
      • PGA Tour Schedule
    • Series
      • Tour Confidential
      • Monday Finish
      • Hot Mic
      • Rogers Report
    • Shows
      • The Scoop
      • Subpar
      • Seen & Heard
  • Instruction
    • Game Improvement
      • Driving
      • Approach Shots
      • Bunker Shots
      • Short Game
      • Putting
      • Rules
      • Fitness
    • Series
      • Top 100 Teachers
      • Rules Guy
      • The Etiquetteist
    • Shows
      • Warming Up
      • Play Smart
      • Short Game Chef
      • Pros Teaching Joes
  • Gear
    • Clubs
      • Drivers
      • Irons
      • Hybrids
      • Fairway Woods
      • Wedges
      • Putters
    • Other Gear
      • Balls
      • Shoes
      • Apparel
      • Golf Accessories
    • Series
      • ClubTest
      • Winner’s Bag
    • Shows
      • Fully Equipped
  • Travel & Lifestyle
    • Travel
      • Course Finder
      • Courses
      • Resorts
    • Lifestyle
      • Accessories
      • Celebrities
      • Food
      • Style
      • Betting Advice
    • Shows
      • Super Secrets
      • Destination Golf
  • Shop
    • Shop
      • Clubs
      • Shafts
      • Training Aids
      • Balls
      • Bags
      • Technology
      • Apparel
      • Accessories
      • Our Picks
      • Shop All
    • Collections
      • The GOLF Collection
      • The Birdie Juice Collection
      • The Fully Equipped Collection
      • Shop All
  • Newsletters
    • Sign Up for GOLF’s Newsletters
      • Hot Mic
      • Monday Finish
      • Play Smart
      • Our Picks
      • Top Stories
      • Sign Up for All
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Features
    • Shows
    • PGA Tour Schedule
  • Instruction
    • All Instruction
    • Driving
    • Approach Shots
    • Bunker Shots
    • Short Game
    • Putting
    • Rules
    • Fitness
  • Gear
    • All Gear
    • Drivers
    • Irons
    • Hybrids
    • Fairway Woods
    • Wedges
    • Putters
    • Balls
    • Shoes
    • Apparel
    • Golf Accessories
  • Travel & Lifestyle
    • All Travel
    • All Lifestyle
    • Course Finder
    • Courses
    • Resorts
    • Accessories
    • Celebrities
    • Food
    • Style
    • Betting Advice
  • Series
    • Tour Confidential
    • Monday Finish
    • Hot Mic
    • Rogers Report
    • Rules Guy
    • The Etiquetteist
    • ClubTest
    • Winner’s Bag
  • Shows
    • The Scoop
    • Subpar
    • Seen & Heard
    • Warming Up
    • Play Smart
    • Short Game Chef
    • Pros Teaching Joes
    • Fully Equipped
    • Super Secrets
    • Destination Golf
  • Shop
    • Clubs
    • Shafts
    • Training Aids
    • Balls
    • Bags
    • Technology
    • Apparel
    • Accessories
    • The GOLF Collection
    • The Birdie Juice Collection
    • The Fully Equipped Collection
  • Newsletters
    • Hot Mic
    • Monday Finish
    • Play Smart
    • Top Stories
    • Our Picks
    • Sign Up for All
InsideGolf Join Now  / Log In
InsideGolf

Over $140 of value - Just $39.99

InsideGOLF
Gear

Top gear posts of 2021: A Ryder Cup rules saga involving Harris English’s putter grip

By: Jonathan Wall
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Follow on Instagram
December 11, 2021
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share by Email
harris english putter grip

Harris English's worn Ping Palm Lock putter grip had to be modified before his Sunday singles match at the Ryder Cup.

Getty Images

Happy Holidays from our gear team at GOLF.com. To bring you into the New Year the right way, we’re counting down our top 21 equipment-related stories from 2021. For the latest gear news, check out our dedicated equipment section, and click here to listen to GOLF’s Fully Equipped weekly podcast. 

Out of all the stories I wrote this year, the Ryder Cup rules saga surrounding Harris English’s well-worn Ping Palm Lock putter grip has to rank at the top of the list. It involved a piece of gear we rarely discuss — unless your first name is Tiger — and an equipment snitch who somehow got the attention of an on-site rules official. (And here I thought armchair rules officials were a thing of the past.)

The story is almost too good to be true, assuming you’re a gearhead.

What’s even crazier is the story likely never would’ve seen the light of day had it not been for a post-Ryder Cup interview English conducted on the Fore the People podcast with pro golfers John Peterson and JJ Killeen, where he shared the story for the first time.

“I get to the course on Sunday — I’m literally walking into the clubhouse — and I get a call from Steve,” English recalled on Fore the People. “I had no idea what he was calling me about; he hadn’t called me this whole week. He said, ‘Hey Harry, I’ve got some bad news. We’ve got the head rules official here and he wants to take a look at your putter grip.’ I’m like, s—.

Putters
harris english putter grip ryder cup ping
How Harris English’s old grip led to a last-minute Ryder Cup rules saga
By: Jonathan Wall

“I guess somebody had called in — they saw [the grip] on television or whatever — and saw the banana flap over. They deemed the grip illegal. This was Sunday morning about two hours before my tee time as I’m getting warmed up.”

English’s grip was already fraying at the butt end, revealing cloth material that was originally situated under a rubber casing. Unsure if the wear-and-tear had rendered the grip unusable, rules officials took a closer look at English’s grip and deemed it to be non-conforming.

“It was past the point of being worn down and had been deemed damaged,” English said on the podcast. “I’ve been putting with it for 8, 9, 10 years — I have no idea how long. Somehow, someone thought it made me putt better. I don’t know. I have no idea why.”

If you want to read the article in its entirety, check it out here, but the tl;dr version concludes with Davis Love III coming to English’s rescue in the dying minutes, X-Acto knife in hand, to get the grip conforming. Potential disaster averted.

In the weeks that followed, English worked with Ping to try and save the grip. But it never quite felt the same. In the end, he removed the grip and replaced it with a fresh Palm Lock. The moral of the story is you should never snitch.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Ht3XQd9neh2t0YpMiQDxL?si=91195ea9648e4fd7

Latest In Gear

7 hours ago

The 5 coolest clubs we saw at the PGA Championship Wednesday

10 hours ago

Inside defending PGA champ Xander Schauffele's golf bag

18 hours ago

2025 Ping Scottsdale putters: Heritage-inspired, Tour-ready 

1 day ago

The 5 coolest clubs we saw at the PGA Championship Monday and Tuesday

JWall

Jonathan Wall

Golf.com Editor

Jonathan Wall is GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com’s Managing Editor for Equipment. Prior to joining the staff at the end of 2018, he spent 6 years covering equipment for the PGA Tour. He can be reached at jonathan.wall@golf.com.

  • Author Twitter Account
  • Author Instagram Account

Related Articles

Putters
Ping Scottsdale Craz-E against a black background

2025 Ping Scottsdale putters: Heritage-inspired, Tour-ready 

By: Kris McCormack
Gear
Andrew Novak and Ben Griffin hit shots at the Zurich Classic.

These 2 club brands had big Sundays. Here's how they can help your game

By: Jack Hirsh
Gear
Niemann's ping driver

Inside the golf bag of LIV Mexico City winner Joaquin Niemann

By: Johnny Wunder
Gear
Ping is sponsoring LIV's Torque GC.

Ping becomes second OEM to partner with LIV Golf team

By: Kris McCormack
Gear
Pile of golf balls on driving range.

The spin comeback: Why Tour pros are putting it back in the bag

By: Kris McCormack
Drivers
How the best fit the best, Part Two, The Driver with Pings Kenton Oates

How the pros get dialed for their drivers, according to an expert Ping fitter

By: Johnny Wunder
Gear
How do the best fitters in the world work with the best players in the world?

How to find the perfect golf ball for your game, according to a Tour fitter

By: Johnny Wunder
Gear
Justin Rose with his putter and Bryson DeChambeau with a wedge at the Masters.

The clubs used by the Masters stats leaders through 36 holes

By: Jack Hirsh
Gear
Viktor Hovland hits driver at the 2025 Masters.

Inside Viktor Hovland's pre-Masters gear change

By: Johnny Wunder
Sign up for GOLF's Newsletters
Get the latest news, the hottest instruction tips, new product releases, golf media insider reports and more delivered directly to your inbox. Choose your favorites now.
Sign Up
Categories
  • News
  • Instruction
  • Gear
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
Services
  • Masthead
  • GOLF Media Kit
  • GOLF Magazine Customer Service
  • TERMS OF SERVICE
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • Opt-out of Ads/Sharing
  • Your Privacy Choices
Social
  • facebook
  • x
  • instagram
  • youtube
Membership
InsideGOLF Logo
More than $140 Value for JUST $39.99

INCLUDES 12 SRIXON Z-STAR XV GOLF BALLS, 1 YR OF GOLF MAGAZINE, $20 FAIRWAY JOCKEY CREDIT - AND MUCH MORE!

LEARN MORE

© 2025 EB Golf Media LLC. An 8AM Golf Affiliated Brand. All Rights Reserved. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy a linked product, GOLF.COM may earn a fee. Pricing may vary.

Go to mobile version