Always further.
Courses around the world are getting shorter and shorter for the big bottoms of the world's elite.
In order to fight against the very long distances traveled by modern balls, the governing bodies of world golf are trying to react.
Because advances in athlete fitness, like technology, allow golfers to hit the ball ever further: last week, at the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Florida, world number three Rory McIlroy made a successful start 331 meters (362 yards)...
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The world ranking of the best golf players
"
Strike distances at the elite level of our sport have steadily increased over the past 20, 40 and 60 years
,
"
USGA chief executive Mike Whan said when introducing the new rule.
“
It's been two decades since we last reviewed our ball distance testing standards.
This continued increase in strike distances is bound to become a significant problem for the next generation if it is not addressed quickly
,” he continued.
The R&A and the USGA had already announced in 2020 that they intended to "
break the ever-increasing cycle of striking distance
".
The Model Local Rule (MLR) proposal was sent Monday to OEMs, who will be able to comment until August 14.
If passed, it will come into force in January 2026. In the proposed model, a ball hit in the laboratory at a swing speed of 205 km/h (127 miles per hour) must not travel more than 293 meters (320 yards ).
If they exceed this distance, it will be deemed non-compliant.
In less than three years, two types of balls will therefore be used.
One for elite players, the other for amateur and recreational players.
Equipment manufacturers will then be forced to redesign their balls, resulting in a loss of distance of around 15 to 20 meters for the biggest hitters.
It should also make it possible to reduce the pressures that exist to increase the size of golf courses.
The latter cannot lengthen indefinitely.
In 2021, Masters chairman Fred Ridley also said a specific "
Masters ball
" would be a last resort in the fight to limit hitting distances.
The par-five 13th hole at Augusta National, for example, has been extended by 35 yards (32 meters) for next month's Masters to accommodate the ever-increasing power of the world's best players.
This announcement is not unanimous among manufacturers.
Titleist
, leader of the number one ball among the pros, declared himself opposed to this distinction between elite players and recreational players.
The famous ProV1 and ProV1X are still the most played at the highest level and will therefore in future only be reserved for amateur players.
"
Unification is a powerfully positive force in the game, and we believe the split will be detrimental to the long-term well-being of golf,"
said chairman David Maher.
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