[Photo: Orlando Ramirez]
The PGA Tour sent a survey to tour and Korn Ferry Tour players this week regarding the upcoming distance rollback. And one question signals a potential breakaway from the tour and golf’s traditional rules-making bodies.
RELATED: Has Cameron Young’s golf ball flipped the script on the rollback?
As first reported by Golf Magazine’s Sean Zak, players received a questionnaire regarding their thoughts on the rollback that the R&A and USGA are implementing. In March, the USGA announced that after seeking comment on changing the implementation date for the new testing rule – which could reduce elite driving distance by 15 yards. The rule involves the Overall Distance Standard test and would raise the test speed from the current 120mph to 125. Originally, the R&A and USGA had announced the rule would be implemented in a staggered start, going into affect for elite golf in 2028 before applying to all golfers in 2030. The new proposal was exploring a universal start date of January 1, 2030.
While Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods has been rollback proponents, many tour players have been vocal in their opposition. Additionally, at last week’s PGA Championship, reports emerged that world No.3 Cameron Young has been playing a ball that would conform to the new rules for several months, bringing into question whether the rule change would have the desired effect or impact all players similarly.
PGA Tour chief executive Brian Rolapp has been publicly non-committal about the proposed change since coming to the tour midway through last year, stating in March at the Players Championship he was still learning about the matter.
“I think this is clearly a complex issue,” Rolapp said. “From what I can tell, it comes down to two questions: is distance a problem, and should it be addressed – [that’s] question No.1. Question No.2, does the current rule being proposed accomplish that? I’ve spoken with players, I’ve spoken with the governing bodies, I’ve spoken with golf ball manufacturers, I’ve spoken to fans. What’s clear to me is that everybody has an opinion, and those opinions are clearly not consistent on either question.
“As far as our players, I know they’re hitting prototypes. I hear all different things. Some are impacted; some that expected to be impacted are not. So as far as the PGA Tour is concerned, we have not taken a position. When we get comfortable with the rule and the data, we’ll make a decision.”
This survey includes questions like:
“Is driving distance on the PGA Tour a problem?”
“What has had the most impact on driving distance over the past 10 years?”
“What was the impact on your driving distance when testing the prototype golf balls?”
Potentially the most interesting question asked players however, was an offshoot of the entire debate: “Should the PGA Tour have its own rule-making process for both play and equipment rules?” The tour has long abided by the USGA rules for its tournaments. However, other professional sports leagues in the United States have their own governance that slightly departs from global regulations, such as the differences in the NBA to FIBA.
The USGA hosts the US Open in three weeks, where officials are expected to provide updates on the proposed rollback.
