The USGA announced overnight it had accepted a record 2,107, breaking the previous mark of 1,874 set a year ago and eclipsing the 2,000 threshold for the first time.
Gooch’s situation highlights the growing pressure on the Official World Golf Ranking to remain relevant when it comes to qualifying for the men’s Majors.
We asked the USGA’s John Spitzer, managing director of equipment standards, to clarify a few things as the proposed golf-ball rollback rule starts its Notice and Comment journey.
The test would not change for the golf balls used for recreational play, but the balls used under this new proposed test for elite competition could result in a distance decrease of at least 15-20 metres, perhaps more.
The R&A and USGA will be proposing a new golf ball testing standard for elite competition that would roll back performance by 20 yards (18 metres) or more.
The rule changes announced by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club (R&A) and the USGA – today that will come into effect on January 1, 2023 – are not as dramatic as in 2019, the last time the rules changed under the four-year cycle. But there are some decent moderations you should know about.
If simplicity and clarity were the buzzwords associated with the sweeping changes the R&A and USGA brought when modernising the Rules of Golf in 2019, then inclusion and sustainability highlight the updates coming in 2023.
After numerous attempts to make a splash on some of golf’s biggest stages, former NFL superstar and celebrity golfer Tony Romo is finally going to play in a USGA championship.