PGA Tour stars SLAM golf ball rollback proposal: "Everyone's against it!"

A few PGA Tour stars have slammed the USGA and R&A's modified golf ball proposal ahead of the Wells Fargo Championship this week.

Lara Kuipers

04 May 2023

PGA Tour stars still don't appear to have bought into the idea of a golf ball rollback, months after the proposal was first announced by the USGA and R&A.

Back in mid-March, the governing powers of golf announced their proposal to introduce new golf balls for elite competitions that would roll the ball back around 15 yards off the tee.

It became a polarizing concept immediately, with stars like Sam Burns hitting out against the idea.

The World No. 13 spoke to reporters shortly after the proposal was announced. He said:

"Personally, I think it's pretty silly."

Now in May, the top players on the PGA Tour are in North Carolina for the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club.

It's the latest of the PGA Tour's new designated events for 2023 with $20m purses and stronger fields.

Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler are both missing from the tournament after choosing to use this week as their one designated event their allowed to miss.

Skipping more than one will result in a hefty fine, as Rory McIlroy recently learned.

Ahead of the tournament, both World No. 4 Patrick Cantlay and No. 53 Rickie Fowler were asked their thoughts on the golf ball rollback. Neither seemed happy about the idea.

"Yeah, I think it's a bad idea. I don't think that it would help the game," Cantlay told reporters. The 31-year-old also admitted that a representative from the USGA and R&A called him to discuss his thoughts on the idea.

He added:

"I think bifurcation's really bad for the game. I think one of the best things about our game is that all the people that play at my home club can play the exact same equipment that I do and that's different than pretty much any other sport."

Fowler, in his own press conference ahead of the tournament also shared similar thoughts on the concept:

"I don't like it. I would say you could take -- I think the only person I heard speak potentially in favor a little bit was maybe Rory I think I had heard. I don't want to quote anyone on that," he said. "Outside of that, as far as players, tour manufacturers and stuff, I don't know of anyone that is anywhere leaning towards it. Everyone's against it."

Fowler added that he had not been reached out to from a representative to speak about it.

He expanded on his thoughts:

"I mean, a lot of different reasons. The bifurcation I don't like. Another, obviously manufacturers to create new product between golf balls, equipment, that's going to be a lot of money in research development, engineering and obviously producing something.

"Ultimately, they're not going to be the ones that -- they're going to spend it, but they're not going to take that hit, that's ultimately going to go to the consumers. It's going to, I mean, ultimately hurt the game. You're now going to now make the cost of playing golf double if not more. Like I said, the manufacturers aren't going to eat that.

"Yeah, to me I could see there being potentially some positives, but I think all the negatives completely outweigh that."

Manufacturers and golf stakeholders have until 14 August 2023 to provide their thoughts on the Model Local Rule. If the USGA and R&A go ahead with proposal, it will take into effect 1 January 2026.

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