Bryson DeChambeau is amongst the longest hitters in golf, and he is not happy a few proposed plan to use balls that limit driving distances. (John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)
It looks like LIV Golfers and PGA Tour golfers have found a little frequent floor.
Both Bubba Watson and Bryson DeChambeau joined Justin Thomas in railing towards the USGA and R&A’s current proposal to introduce modified golf balls designed to limit distance.
“The sport is at an all-time high, so let’s don’t mess with it,” Watson mentioned ahead of LIV Golf’s second event of the season this week in Arizona, by way of the Palm Beach Post. “Let’s just hold it rising.”
Two of golf’s governing bodies announced a plan this week that would force top golfers to make use of modified balls designed to restrict distance off the tee. The balls must conform to not exceed the general distance of 320 yards on carry and roll. The plan would minimize back driver distance by about 15 yards, and only impact the best stage of the game.
The USGA and R&A, which run the united states Open and British Open championships, respectively, have stated that distances are increasing by about 1 yard per 12 months off the tee and that this plan, which would start in 2026, would keep the game sustainable in the coming decades.
It’s unclear if the PGA Tour or other leagues would adopt this rule change. If they do not, it’s something that might only be required at the us Open and British Open.
Thomas, forward of the Valspar Championship this week, said the plan was “so dangerous for the game of golf.”
“I don’t know what number of of y’all persistently play golf in right here, but I promise none of you may have are available from the golf course and mentioned, you realize, I’m hitting it thus far and straight today that golf’s simply not even fun anymore,” Thomas mentioned. “Like, no, that is not — it is simply not actuality.”
Watson cited DeChambeau, who is considered one of the longest hitters in the sport. DeChambeau led the Tour in driving distance in both 2019 and 2020, and set a then-record averaging 322.1 yards off the tee.
“Just since you hit it farther doesn’t mean it’s going to go straighter,” Watson stated. “I’m not trying to throw Bryson underneath the bus, but Bryson tried to do one thing, he did do it, but he dialed it back slightly. He nonetheless hits it farther than everybody however he dialed it back a little because he realized your misses are farther … as a end result of I’ve been coping with that for a while, my misses are farther off.”
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Bubba Watson and Bryson DeChambeau joined Justin Thomas in criticizing a new plan to restrict distances off the tee. (Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
This season on Tour, golfers are averaging simply more than 297 yards per drive. Rory McIlroy is averaging a Tour-best 326.6 yards per drive, and Thomas is averaging 305.6 yards, which is 40th greatest on Tour.
While he understands the logic for it on paper, DeChambeau didn’t hold back when criticizing the plan.
“Look, in the occasion that they do it in a way the place it only affects the top finish, I see the rationale,” DeChambeau informed LIV Golf. “But I suppose it’s the most atrocious factor that you can presumably do to the game of golf. It’s not about rolling golf balls again. It’s about making golf programs harder.
“I suppose it’s the most unimaginative, uninspiring, game-cutting thing you could do. Everybody wants to see individuals hit it farther. That’s a half of the explanation why a lot of people like what I do. It’s a part of the rationale lots of people don’t like what I do.”