USGA commissioner on golf ball rollback We re full speed ahead

OAKMONT – Despite opposition from professional players, USGA commissioner Mike Whan said on June 11 that the governing body is “full speed ahead” on its plan to “roll back” the golf ball.

Whan spoke with reporters at Oakmont Country Club ahead of the first round of the US Open on June 12. Forthcoming equipment regulations were one of the chief topics he addressed.

In December 2023, the USGA and RA announced they will change the speed standard they use to test golf balls beginning in January 2028. The changes will “only minimally” affect the recreational golfer starting in 2030, they said at the time.

The PGA Tour and PGA of America opposed the move, but Whan said that recent “stakeholder meetings” at The Players Championship and the Masters left him feeling encouraged.

“I get this isn’t easy and everybody has got their own constituents,” he said.

“I’ll just say what I said yesterday again, as an industry we have to be able to make small adjustments that are in the best interest of the game long-term, that we all know would be better 40 years from now if we were smart enough to make them today.

“We’ll make those. Not everybody will like it. But nobody is going to die. The game is going to be great. We’re full speed ahead on what we’ve announced. Those decisions have been made.”

Asked if the USGA and RA have a Plan B, Whan countered: “We’ve announced our plan.”

Ultimately, the goal is to decrease a player’s driving distance, which leaders have agreed is necessary for the long-health of the game. For now, golf ball manufacturers are in the research and development phase and submitting prototypes to the governing bodies.

Whan said the USGA will “stay open-minded” to new data that could change