When Adam Scott waved a short putter to magical effect during the first round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral on Thursday , he effectively consigned to history one of the most contentious subjects the game has known . Nine months ahead of the official death knell for long putters , the great and good have seemingly imposed their own sanction . The banishment was started by Ernie Els and Webb Simpson , who snapped his over his knee to ensure he would not be tempted any more . Then came Keegan Bradley , leaving Scott as the last man standing in terms of players who won majors using a long putter . Australian Adam Scott putts for birdie on the eighth green during the WGC-Cadillac Championship . Scott watches his tee shot on the 14th hole in the second round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship . It was this group who forced the hands of the governing bodies when they claimed all four majors between them in the space of just 18 months , from Bradley 's PGA Championship triumph in 2011 through to Scott 's Masters victory in 2013 . The authorities were persuaded by the powerful evidence that less nerve was needed in anchoring a long putter to the body and the plain inequity that such a crutch could prove decisive at a major . Hence the ban on anchoring which , by extension , meant the end for long putters . Scott was the most high-profile since his long putter was the ugliest contraption of all . As long as he kept turning up with it in his bag , the subject rumbled on . It was during a three-month break that the genial Australian decided it was time to change . His caddie Steve Williams had announced his retirement while Scott 's wife had given birth to their first child , Bo . 'Everything was getting a little boring so I thought why not change everything completely and ditch the putter as well , ' said Scott ( right ) , wryly . At home he experimented with a range of 50 different putters . He tried various grips and methods . By the time he arrived in Miami , Scott was confident enough to announce he was going back to the short putter he last wielded in competition in 2011 . Scott plays his second shot on the 10th hole in the second round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship . The Australian chips the ball out of the bunker and onto the 11th green at the WGC-Cadillac Championship . The 34-year-old admitted to some first-hole nerves and genuine concern as to how it would hold up over long putts . As things turned out , it went better than he could have imagined . Using the 'claw ' grip favoured by Sergio Garcia , the putting stroke looked pure and he had just 27 putts in an opening round of 70 . ' I 'm really pleased , ' Scott said afterwards . ' I 've tried not to clutter my mind and I 've shown myself it is not that big a deal . It helps that I used a short putter for years , so the adjustment was really to do with muscle memory . ' One or two middle-ranking players such as the Swede Carl Pettersson and South African Tim Clark still use long putters . But even here they will surely take encouragement from the example of those at the top . As for Scott , did he ever feel like following Simpson 's example and snapping his putter in two ? 'It treated me pretty well , so I do n't think it deserves a snapping , ' he said , smiling . Scott 's two-under-par round left him in the top 10 but still eight strokes behind runaway leader JB Holmes , who carded a 62 . 'That 's the most unbelievable round I have ever seen , ' said Ian Poulter , who opened with a 74 — one worse than world No 1 Rory McIlroy . For Holmes , it was another heartening milestone in his remarkable recovery from brain surgery three years ago . The 34-year-old Scott watches his tee shot on the 12th hole at the WGC-Cadillac Championship .
Adam Scott is now using a short putter at the WGC-Cadillac Championship . The transition has gone very smoothly for the US Masters Champion . He shot two under round off the back of a strong short game at Doral . In other news, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are tied with three birdies in their last four holes to move into contention on Sunday morning.