Akshay Bhatia is currently leading the leaderboard at the AT&T Pebble Beach with a 15-under par total. But it’s not just his amazing scoreboard and play that everyone is talking about; rather, it’s his controversial putting technique that has a good portion of people talking.

It started during the second round of the 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am when the popular golf account Rick Golfs shared footage of Bhatia’s putting on X. It shows Bhatia’s long “broomstick” putter technique in extreme detail, with the grip of his putter appearing to press against his shirt during a putt.

Rick Golfs captioned the post, “Is Akshay anchoring here? I am not accusing. But there is a point to the question. The USGA and R&A screwed up royally when they banned anchoring but didn’t ban putter length. Because touching clothing is legal, it’s impossible to detect now.”

After raising the question, he added, “They should limit putter length, or they need to consider clothing an anchor. Or else just don’t have the rule. Currently, it benefits only rule breakers. Unenforceable rules s–k.”

To understand why this has caused such an uproar, it is necessary to look at the history of Rule 10.1b (formerly Rule 14-1b). Before 2016, for decades, anchoring was a legal way to putt. Players could use their ‘belly’ or ‘broomstick’ putters, pressing the club against their midsection or chest to create a fixed fulcrum point.

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Then, before the 2016 season officially started, the governing bodies feared anchoring was taking too much skill out of the game. The USGA and R&A officially banned anchoring with a rule that has been in effect since January 1, 2016.

It says that a player must not anchor the club ‘directly’ by holding it against the body. Or ‘indirectly’ by using a forearm as an anchor point to create a stable hinge. But the current rule is difficult to enforce because it is intent-based. Rule 10.1b specifically states that there is no breach if the club or gripping hand ‘merely touches’ clothing without being held against the body. This creates a massive gray area.

Because loose apparel can make a legal strike look anchored on television. And looking at how skinny Bhatia is, it is hard to determine what actually happened.

But the 24-year-old isn’t the first one to face criticism because of anchoring. Bernhard Langer has been the poster child for the anchoring debate since the 2016 ban. Langer transitioned to the long putter to survive the critics and has been dogged by cheating accusations ever since.

Critics frequently point to the lack of daylight between Langer’s hand and his torso. And the controversy became so toxic that at the 2025 Charles Schwab Championship, two fans followed Langer on the course wearing T-shirts that read ‘USGA Rule 10.1B’ and ‘Anchoring is not a crime… it’s just against the rules.’

Langer, though, has remained firm in his defense and stated, “I know when I’m anchoring and when I’m not anchoring because I control my hand. It goes sideways, you can see it.”

Although Bhatia didn’t face that kind of heat, he has a history of struggle with normal putting. He switched to the 44-inch broomstick putter in late 2023 at the Fortinet Championship after ranking 170th in Strokes Gained: Putting.

While the ‘anchoring’ debate remained quiet for a period, it has exploded once again as Bhatia’s performance has reached another level in the 2026 season. After failing to make two consecutive cuts at the AmEx and Farmers Open, Bhatia finished T3 at the WM Phoenix Open. And at the conclusion of Round 2 at the 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Bhatia is tied for the co-lead at 15-under par with Ryo Hisatsune.

And the moment the X post reached fans, they had plenty to say.

Fans react to Bhatia’s putting technique

The Rick Golfs post has acted as a lightning rod, and the first wave of fans reacted swiftly, saying, “He’s anchoring. It’s illegal.”

One blunt fan says, tagging the official PGA Tour account, “Sorry – that’s anchored @PGATOUR.”

Another echoed the same sentiment and demand for transparency, writing, “@PGATOUR care to comment?”

While the ban on anchoring (Rule 14-1b, now 10.1b) took effect on January 1, 2016, there have been no public, televised penalties or disqualifications of a PGA Tour player for anchoring a putter in tournament play.

That’s why, while everyone started making their statements clear, one fan noted the complexity of the rule. He wrote, “Is he.. absolutely! The rule is intent.. did he intentionally do it?”

This gets to the heart of the mess.

As Bhatia’s stats have skyrocketed since switching to the broomstick putter, critics argue that the intent to gain stability is clearly there, even if the physical contact is obscured by clothing. This is identical to Bernhard Langer’s defense, as one fan said, “Langer has been doing it for years.”

One fan even added, “Si Woo won’t go back to the broomstick because he doesn’t want to be accused of anchoring. I highly doubt Akshay is anchoring, but using the broomstick will always raise the question.”

Si Woo Kim won the 2023 Sony Open using a broomstick but famously switched back to a short putter to avoid criticism. By mentioning Kim, fans argue that even if Bhatia is technically legal, the equipment itself creates a shadow of doubt.

But not everyone was criticizing Bhatia for using long putting instruments, as one supported him, citing the fundamentals of the game: “Isn’t the point of golf for the players to officiate themselves? There’s no way he’d openly cheat like that.”

This reflects the traditional view of golf as a game of honor, and players always informed the official when they felt they had breached any rule. So the fans believe Bhatia, who is always known for his peaceful nature and traditional POV, would never knowingly flout a rule.