06 December 2023 , 15:57
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The PGA Tour has confirmed it will go ahead with its controversial decision to roll back the golf ball after Rory McIlroy defended the move - and took a swipe at LIV Golf as ‘money talks’.
The discussion regarding the evolution of the golf ball has been a fervent one in recent months, with officials wanting to protect courses from being taken over by the ever-growing hitting distance across the game. Initially, the change was only going to be introduced in professional golf, but it will now be brought in at amateur level too.
The decision to have the rule implemented across all levels came after plans for bifurcation - pros and amateurs using different equipment - were rejected. Both the R&A and PGA of America are now set to go through with technology changes to reduce the distance the ball is hit.
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On Wednesday, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan sent a letter to members addressing the USGA and R&A decision to roll back the golf ball. The change will take effect in January 2028 with an allowance at the recreational level to 2030. Monahan wrote: “Today’s announcement takes into account previous feedback from the PGA Tour that we believe a Model Local Rule related to golf ball conformance is not in the best interests of the game as a whole.”
The letter concluded with: “We will also continue efforts we are making using the breadth of ShotLink data to understand how course set-up, design and other competitive characteristics can help mitigate the effects of distance while also providing the opportunity for a diverse skill set to succeed at the highest level.”
The PGA Tour’s decision comes after McIlroy backed plans for the golf ball to be rolled back. The four-time major champion also took the opportunity to take a dig at LIV Golf, the lucrative Saudi-backed breakaway tour that has divided golf.
Rory McIlroy fiercely defended the decision to roll back the golf ball (Getty Images)“I don’t understand the anger about the golf ball roll back,” McIlroy posted on X. “It will make no difference whatsoever to the average golfer and puts golf back on a path of sustainability. It will also help bring back certain skills in the pro game that have been eradicated over the past two decades.”
The Northern Irishman also discussed the bifurcation rejection, and suggested it was linked to the ever-growing influence of money within the game - a topic which has become more relevant amid the rise of LIV Golf. McIlroy added: “The people who are upset about this decision shouldn’t be mad at the governing bodies, they should be mad at elite pros and club/ball manufacturers because they didn’t want bifurcation.
“The governing bodies presented us with that option earlier this year. Elite pros and ball manufacturers think bifurcation would negatively affect their bottom lines, when in reality, the game is already bifurcated. You think we play the same stuff you do? They put pressure on the governing bodies to roll it back to a lesser degree for everyone. Bifurcation was the logical answer for everyone, but yet again in this game, money talks.”