Going the distance: golf debate comes to the fore

Jimmy Walker has suggested a nationwide poll asking golfers if they wanted their best drives reduced by 20 per cent. age annual increase of 0.2 yards since 2003), people noticed.

People took even greater notice at the language the governing bodies used: “This level of increase across so many tours in a single season is unusual and concerning and requires closer inspection and monitoring to fully understand the causes and effects.”

Changing the ball isn’t specifically mentioned as a fix, but many are reading between the lines. Reaction from players was quick. PGA Championship winner Jimmy Walker took to Twitter and suggested a nationwide poll asking golfers if they wanted their best drives reduced by 20 per cent. Lucas Glover, Paul Casey and Ross Fisher were among others who came out against any change to the ball. Phil Mickelson suggested that a roll back would be punishing “hard work and dedication.”

The PGA of America (which represents 29,000 golf professionals and runs the PGA Championship and Ryder Cup) released a statement to the Golf Channel explaining that they are “highly skeptical” that rolling back the ball is in the best interests of the game. The PGA Tour (which represents all your favourite long-bombing golfers) sent a letter to its players about the report: “Having carefully reviewed the data, we do not believe the trends indicate a significant or abnormal increase in distance since 2003 or from 2016 to 2017.”

It appears battle lines are being drawn.

From my perspective, any rollback of the ball must only be done at the highest level of the sport, not universally. Golf ’s distance problem does not extend to the recreational golfer.

This would require a bifurcation of the rules of golf and separate limits on ball technology for professionals compared to the rest of us. Golf has long resisted this, but it has been done in other traditionsteeped sports such as baseball, with bat technology and materials.

Ryan Ballengee of Golf News Net did a deep dive into the Distance Report data and believes a modest 5 per cent rollback could account for the modern golf ball’s effect on the game.

It would shave roughly 15 yards off pro drives and another 5-10 yards off approach shots. Multiply that by 18 holes and you have a significant chunk of yardage.

But touring pros seem ready for a fight on this issue. Consider that the anchored putter debate got ugly and it only affected 10 to 15 per cent of players. This one would be a doozy.

Another thing to keep an eye on is how the PGA Tour reacts. The tour has a reasonable gripe about its level of influence in the game of golf. The PGA Tour is the face of the sport at its highest level, but its biggest tournament is not a major championship. If commissioner Jay Monahan is looking to make a power play and has the support of the players, it’s hard to see a rollback getting done.

My suggestion to get the, um, ball rolling, is the same as it was last year: The Jack Nicklaus Old Course Invitational using rolled-back balls. Who could say no during a phone call with the Golden Bear himself ?

At the Honda Classic two weeks ago, Nicklaus reiterated his willingness to help, recounting a recent dinner he had with USGA boss Mike Davis who mentioned that Nicklaus might be needed.

“I said, ‘That’s fine. I’m happy to help you,’ Nicklaus said. “‘I’ve only been yelling at you for 40 years.’ 1977 is the first time I went to the USGA (about the ball issue). I said, ‘I assume you’re going to study for another ten years or so, though.’ ”

We will see.