As is often the case, the 2005 Masters Tournament was filled with fireworks. The exciting final round climaxed with Tiger Woods draining a tourney-saving chip-in on 16 and then a monster 15-foot putt to win over Chris DiMarco on the first playoff hole. But long before that final showdown, two other former Masters champions had their own duel of sorts.

After rain and then darkness prevented the completion of round one that Thursday, Phil Mickelson was no doubt thrilled when he birdied number 12 to start his play the following day, April 8, 2005. Vijay Singh, however, was not nearly as impressed with Phil's work on the 12th green, especially when he discovered spike marks directly on his own putt's line. The crux of the issue came down to rule number 16-1c which says, "The player may repair an old hole plug or damage to the putting green caused by the impact of the ball... Any other damage to the putting green must not be repaired if it might assist the player in his subsequent play of the hole."

That meant that Vijay could repair all the old ball marks he wished, but Phil's spike marks had to remain as they were. And this, obviously, didn't sit well with Vijay, who then complained to one of the officials that Phil's metal spikes were too long.

While the officials determined that Phil's 8 millimeter long spikes were, indeed, regulation length, an increasingly popular question reared its head once again: why are professional golfers allowed to wear metal spikes when amateurs are not?

The actual answer to that question is that, at least according to the USGA, nothing in the rule book prevents a golfer from wearing metal spikes. The only guidance comes in the form of suggested etiquette that "On completion of the hole by all players in the group, damage to the putting green caused by golf shoes should be repaired." That by no means rules out using metal spikes; however, most golf clubs now mandate that players use "soft" spikes to prevent unnecessary damage to the putting surface.

There are still quite a few professionals who use the traditional metal spikes, such as Mickelson, but that number is shrinking rapidly. As early as 2002, the percentage of pros wearing metal spikes versus soft spikes was less than 25%. (For what it's worth, USA Today reported in 2005 that Tiger Woods uses a custom made shoe with a combination of metal and soft spikes).

Most proponents of using metal spikes argue that soft spikes simply do not have enough grip, especially for a golfer with a high-power, high-torque swing or in wet weather. But the technical advancements made in recent years coupled with the steadily decreasing number of professionals utilizing metal spikes both seem to negate that argument.

Still, the metal versus soft spike debate will undoubtedly continue for years to come... at least for the pros. For us amateurs, since almost all golf clubs restrict the use of metal spikes in the first place, we'll just have to get used to the goods and bads of soft spikes whether we like them or not. And in my humble opinion, we're probably not missing out on much anyhow... other than the cool sound that metal spikes make as you walk to the 19th hole of course!


Email Korry your questions at korry@oobgolf.com.


Korry Franke is a Boeing 757 and 767 pilot for Continental Airlines where he flies out of Newark, NJ to destinations across the US and around the globe. He lives in Bethlehem, PA where he spends most of his time on days off at the driving range or out on the golf course giving his game the practice it so desperately needs.