Jay Monahan has assumed office and wasted no time in expressing his disagreement with R&A’s ball rollback rule
The PGA Tour, in another shock announcement, has declined the proposed plan to roll back the distance travelled by the golf ball, which contravenes the expected positions of the other major golf bodies – the R&A of St Andrews, the USGA and The Masters.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan conveyed the Tour’s opposition to the “Modified Local Rule” in a memo sent to the players on Wednesday evening.
The governing bodies, the USGA and R&A, had proposed to modify the ball to travel approximately 15 yards shorter than the balls currently in use on the professional tours. If the proposal were to be accepted, it would take effect only from 2026.
The PGA Tour’s disapproval complicates the potential ramifications of such a rule change. Should the sport’s other major governing bodies go ahead with the rule change despite the PGA Tour’s position, it would set up a situation where PGA Tour players would have to use a different golf ball in the U.S. Open and The (British) Open, and perhaps The Masters.
Observers note that PGA Tour players are concerned about their lucrative golf ball endorsement contracts that might be threatened by the proposed rule because the ball the pros play would then be different than the one played by club golfers.
“As you know, we have spent the last two years undertaking a comprehensive analysis of distance on the PGA Tour and its impact,” Monahan wrote. “Although there has been some level of support for limiting future increases, there is widespread and significant belief the proposed Modified Local rule is not warranted and is not in the best interest of the game.”
Credits:-
Photo – ESPN