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Acushnet Holdings Corp., the parent company of the Titleist golf brand, weighed in last week on the USGA and R&A’s recently released Distance Insights Report. In a statement posted at titleist.com, Acushnet president and CEO David Maher took issue with the report’s conclusion that increased hitting distance by elite male players is undesirable and detrimental to golf’s long-term future.
“In the spirit of contributing additional perspective to this discussion and the game’s timeless, and healthy, debate between tradition and technology, we believe the conclusions drawn in this report undervalue the skill and athleticism of the game’s very best players and focus far too much on the top of the men’s professional game and project this on golf and golfers as a whole,” Maher wrote. “Furthermore, we believe that existing equipment regulations effectively govern the prospects of any significant increases in hitting distance by the game’s longest hitters.”
The missive went on to challenge the report’s suggested notion of a local rule option that would specify use of clubs and/or balls intended to result in shorter hitting distances.
“We believe that playing by a unified set of rules coalesces our game, is an essential part of its global understanding and appeal, and eliminates the inconsistency and instability that would come from multiple sets of equipment standards,” Maher wrote.
The USGA subsequently issued a rejoinder: “At our core, we are golf fans, and we continue to celebrate both the skill and athleticism of today’s players across the game. As we articulated in the statement of conclusions, we see this as a multifaceted, long-term issue that impacts everyone – from recreational to elite players as well as golf courses at all levels of the game – old and new alike. We look forward to working with Acushnet and other manufacturers as we engage in the next steps.”
Staff and Wire Reports