PGA Tour launches player survey over controversial golf ball rollback

The PGA Tour has taken a fresh step into golf’s ongoing distance debate by surveying players on the proposed golf ball rollback and the future of equipment regulation in the professional game.

According to Golf.com, a 13-question survey was sent this week to members of both the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour, asking for opinions on everything from driving distance to whether the Tour should have greater control over its own equipment rules.

The questionnaire arrives at a fascinating moment in the sport’s long-running rollback discussion.

The USGA and R&A have already committed to introducing new golf ball testing standards aimed at reducing hitting distances at the elite level, with some projections suggesting drives could be shortened by as much as 15 to 20 yards. 

Under the current proposal, professionals would begin using the revised golf balls in 2028 before recreational golfers follow in 2030.

However, those timelines could still shift. The USGA recently contacted manufacturers to gather feedback on delaying implementation so that both elite and amateur players would transition at the same time in 2030. A formal update is expected in the near future.

The PGA Tour’s decision to gather player feedback also comes amid growing uncertainty over whether the rollback will deliver the intended results.

Several members of the Tour’s policy board and Player Advisory Council have publicly questioned the effectiveness of the proposed changes, while recent developments have only intensified the debate.

Ahead of last week’s PGA Championship, Cameron Young revealed he had already been testing a prototype golf ball believed to conform to the future rules. Despite putting the ball into play last August, reports suggested the American had not experienced any noticeable loss in distance.

Among the questions included in the survey were whether driving distance is truly an issue on the PGA Tour, what skills should be rewarded more in professional golf, and whether the Tour should establish its own rule-making process separate from the USGA and R&A.

Players were also asked if they had personally tested prototype golf balls designed to meet the incoming standards.

The distance debate has been building for years. The USGA and R&A first launched the Distance Insights Project in 2018 before publishing findings the following year. In 2022, the governing bodies officially announced revised testing conditions for golf ball conformance.

Support for the rollback remains divided across the sport.

Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley has consistently backed efforts to rein in distance gains, while the PGA of America has maintained its opposition to the proposal. 

PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said earlier this year that he was still evaluating the issue and is expected to address the topic further during a press conference at next month’s Travelers Championship.