OFFICIALS WILL MAKE SURE GOLF BALLS DRIVE SHORTER
Golf’s ruling bodies are changing the equipment testing to make sure the golf ball goes shorter for everyone from Tiger Woods to the amateur who plays public courses on the weekend.
The USGA and R&A announced its decision Wednesday, capping more than five years of intensive study on distance that led them to believe consistent gains off the tee — some 30 yards by PGA Tour players over the last 25 years — was detrimental to the game.
The change is not effective until 2028 for tour and elite golf, 2030 for recreational golfers.
The original proposal in March was a “Model Local Rule” that would lead to a shorter golf ball only at the elite level, which would create two sets of rules for the first time. The PGA Tour and PGA of America strongly opposed it.
Instead, the USGA and R&A are changing the test that measures how far the ball goes, leaving in tact the “Overall Distance Standard” limit of 317 yards with a 3yard tolerance.
The new test will be a club swung at 125 mph, equivalent to ball speed of 183 mph (up from 120 mph club speed and 176 mph ball speed); with a spin rate of 2,200 rpm (down from 2,520 rpm) and a launch angle of 11 degrees (previously 10 degrees).
For the longest hitters, they expect the ball to go up to 15 yards shorter — 11 yards shorter for average tour pros, 7 yards for female tour players and 5 yards or less for everyone else.
Keegan Bradley isn’t sure about that. He said Srixon made him a golf ball that would have met proposed standards and it was flying 40 to 50 yards shorter.
Horse racing
The Belmont will be held at Saratoga next year, not Belmont.
Sweeping renovations at Belmont Park required a temporary home for the Belmont Stakes, the third race in the Triple Crown. The race will be part of a special session at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., from June 6 to 9, Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York announced Wednesday.
The Belmont Stakes is known for being contested at the punishing distance of 11⁄2 miles, which has helped give it the nickname the Test of the Champion. But because of the track configuration at Saratoga, the 2024 Belmont will be 11⁄4 miles. It was run at a shorter distance, 11⁄8 miles, in 2020 because the coronavirus pandemic scrambled the racing calendar.
College football
New Mexico hired Bronco Mendenhall as its new head football coach Wednesday.
The 57-year-old Mendenhall compiled a 135-81 record over 17 seasons at BYU and Virginia and was 7-7 in bowl games before he stepped away from coaching following the 2021 season.
Albuquerque TV station KOB reported that Mendenhall signed a five-year contract with the Lobos. A news conference was scheduled for this morning.
• Former Texas Tech quarterback Tyler Shough said on social media that he will transfer to No. 16 Louisville after a three-year stint with the Red Raiders highlighted by a victory in last season’s Texas Bowl.
• Oklahoma State quarterback Gunnar Gundy, son of Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy, entered the transfer portal on Wednesday.
Soccer
Manchester City’s winless run in the Premier League extended to four games after being outplayed in a 1-0 loss at Aston Villa.
Leon Bailey scored off a deflected shot in the 74th minute to leave City six points behind first-place Arsenal and in fourth place, also behind Liverpool and now Villa.
• Liverpool spoiled Chris Wilder’s return to the Bramall Lane dugout by beating Sheffield United 2-0 thanks to goals by Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai to move back to within two points of leader Arsenal.
• Carlos Queiroz was fired as Qatar’s head coach just over a month before the nation hosts the Asian Cup. Queiroz, former coach of Real Madrid, Portugal and Iran, was appointed on a four-year contract in February after Felix Sanchez left the position. Sanchez was in charge at the 2022 World Cup when Qatar, as host, lost all three games.
Also
Amit Patel, a former financial manager for the Jacksonville Jaguars, has been accused of stealing more than $22 million from the franchise through its virtual credit card program between 2019 and 2023, according to a seven-page court filing.
• The San Diego Gulls (511-4-0) defeated host Milwaukee (10-8-1-0) 5-2.