Golf's two governing bodies, the Royal and Ancient and the United States Golf Association, have discussed and are continuing to debate the legality of long putters in the game.

Following Ernie Els's victory at the Open yesterday, three of the last four major winners have used either long or 'belly' putters that can be anchored against the body.

Second-placed Adam Scott also uses an elongated putter but R&A chief Peter Dawson says this result does not affect the ongoing discussions.

"This may be the first one where we have had the winner and runner up with long putters,'' Dawson said this morning at the Open venue Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

"Let me say, first of all, that the Open Championship result does not have a direct bearing on the discussions about long and belly putters. They were going on well before [Sunday's result]."

Dawson added that he expects a decision to be made on the future of longer putters in the next months, not years.

Els, who won his fourth major and second Open Championship thanks to Scott's late stumble, joked last year that as long as the putters are legal, he'd keep "cheating" like the rest.