The Players 2026: Jordan Spieth weighs in on "cheating" claims

Jordan Spieth weighed in on a hot topic ahead of the 2026 Players Championship. 

Last week, Akshay Bhatia captured his third PGA Tour title with an impressive victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. 

But the 24-year-old came under intense scrutiny from armchair golf critics who accused the American of anchoring his broomstick putter to his chest.

Bhatia denied this was the case when he came under the microscope earlier in the season.

And in the immediate aftermath of his latest win he was even defended by PGA Tour veteran Michael Kim. 

Kim wrote on X that it "wasn't even close" in person and claimed that Bhatia's stroke was "not a concern" among other PGA Tour members. 

Spieth was asked for his point of view during an appearance on Kay Adams' podcast "Up & Adams" ahead of the 2026 Players. 

"Can you tell me what I need to know about this anchoring thing?" she asked Spieth, who looked a bit uncomfortable as he was shown footage of Bhatia. 

She added: "Akshay wins API. Is this OK? Is this not OK? Should putters be shorter? Should long putters not be a thing?"

Spieth, understandably, chose his words carefully after starting his answer with: "Um..."

Then he offered up what many would likely consider a fair opinion. 

"There's a skill to it," Spieth said. "If it were that easy to do and made everyone that much better, everybody would do it.

"He's been doing it for a long time. Most of the people who have [have been]."

Spieth was referencing the fact Bhatia changed to a broomstick putter in late 2023. 

He finished the prior season 183rd in the putting department but has made a remarkable improvement on the greens since the change. 

Bhatia is currently ranked 12th in the SG: Putting this season. 

Still, Spieth urged golf's rule makers to make the putter the shortest club in the bag. "And I do believe that it forces more skill," he said. 

"It uses your hands more, which makes you have to be more, kind of athletic and deal with the stuff that comes up a little bit more."

Watch the clip here:

Bhatia is not the first player to face such accusations. 

England's Dan Bradbury, also a recent DP World Tour winner, has also taken heat. As have major winners Adam Scott and Bernhard Langer. 

Anchoring was outlawed from the game in 2016. 

Before that, Tiger Woods repeatedly voiced his disdain for belly putters. 

"I believe it's the art of controlling the body and club and swinging the pendulum motion," Woods said in 2012.

"I believe that's how it should be played. I'm a traditionalist when it comes to that."