The iconic moment which saw Bryson DeChambeay hit a 370 yard drive on No. 6 at Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2021
The United States Golf Association (USGA) and the R&A has proposed a new rule that would give tours and tournaments the option to use a golf ball that will be tested under modified launch conditions to curtail how far it can be hit.
If adopted, the new rules, which will not affect the types of balls that recreational players can buy, would take effect in January 2026. The governing bodies will receive feedback from manufacturers and others until Aug. 14.
The governing bodies said the proposed rule changes would reduce hitting distances by about 14 to 15 yards on average for the longest hitters with the highest clubhead speeds.
USGA CEO Mike Whan and R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers said the changes, if adopted, would be used at its respective championships. The Masters, PGA Championship and PGA Tour events also would have the option of using the rule. Slumbers said the rule change wouldn’t affect elite women players.
“In the debates and the arguments that will certainly ensue over the next days and weeks that we’ll all be a part of, I think we’ll constantly find ourselves in this discussion about somebody saying, ‘Why would you do this today, the game is fine today,'” Whan said. “Just know that on behalf of both of us, we understand and respect how great the game is. We certainly don’t want to get in the way of that success.
“This is not really about today, it’s about understanding the historical trends over the last 10, 20, 40 years and being able to be very predictive in terms of those trends over the next 20 or 40 years going forward and questioning whether or not the game can sustain 20 or 40 years from now the kind of increases that are so incredibly easy to predict. If we simply do nothing, we pass that to the next generation and to all the golf course venues around the world for them to just simply figure out.”
This proposed Model Local Rule is intended for use only in elite competitions and, if adopted, will have no impact on recreational golf.
Learn more about today’s announcement from the USGA and @RandA
— USGA (@USGA) March 14, 2023
In a release, the USGA and R&A said golf balls that would conform to the new rule must not exceed the overall distance standard of 317 yards and no more than 320 yards on carry and roll. Under the changes, balls would be tested with “clubhead speed of 127 mph and based on a calibration set-up for 11 degrees and 37 revolutions per second (2220 rpm) as part of this proposal.”
Among the players, Justin Thomas has said he strongly opposes these changes while Rory McIlroy has come out in support of them.
Credits:-
Photo – Golf Digest