By proposing a landscape-altering rollback for golf balls used by players at the game’s elite level, the USGA and the R&A are taking a monumental step to deal with what they see as an increasingly disruptive threat to how the game is played.
Whether the proposed changes will be accepted by the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and other major professional tours likely holds the key to whether these modifications become the law of the land at the game’s highest level.
The proposal, called a model local rule, would bifurcate the rules of golf, allowing the vast majority of golfers to continue using the golf balls they currently play while requiring players in elite competitions to play a different ball designed to fly a shorter distance.
“As custodians of our sport, we're of the view that at the elite male level, both amateur and professional, we've crossed the Rubicon with regards to where hitting distance is but more importantly where it is trending, and it's our responsibility as governing bodies to propose change to protect the long-term integrity of our sport,” said Martin Slumbers, CEO of the R&A.
“Change is difficult, and we fully recognize that not all agree with our thinking. But we have listened and considered other points of view very carefully.
“We're not so much trying to solve a problem today; we're trying to solve where we believe it's going, and there is no doubt in our minds that the game is going in that direction, and will continue to move upwards. There is no evidence in history to prescribe otherwise, and by taking a step back here, we give ourselves some headroom for the next 10 to 15 years, depending on how the game develops.”
If adopted, the rule would go into effect in 2026 and be based on a new testing protocol based off a swing speed of 127 miles per hour, 7 mph faster than the current testing model. The new test also would use a lower spin rate with an 11-degree launch angle in anticipation of continued distance increases at the elite level.
Under the proposed guidelines, balls must not exceed the current overall distance standard, which limits them to 317 yards (with a 3-yard tolerance), based on a 120-mph clubhead speed. As a general rule, each mile per hour of swing speed translates into approximately 2½ yards with a driver.
According to the USGA and R&A, average driving distance at the highest levels has increased approximately 1 yard per year over the last 20 years, the last time distance standards were specifically addressed.
The proposed changes stopped short of mandating changes to clubs, particularly drivers, instead focusing specifically on golf balls.
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