USGA and R&A set to ANNOUNCE universal golf ball rollback next week despite massive heat from golfers
The USGA and R&A have been working on this golf ball rollback proposal for years now and are now set to announce it next week.
R&A CEO Martin Slumbers (Pic Credit: Sky Sports)
As the month of December rolls on, the speculations regarding the future of golf intensifies. While the talks of the ongoing merger are likely to dominate the next few weeks, there could be a huge development by next week. The United States Golf Association (USGA) and R&A are expected to announce the golf ball rollback next week.
According to a report from Golf Digest, this new development could bring a huge change in the sport of golf. This talks about what had been going on for a while and recently R&A CEO Martin Slumbers said they had three options. One was to bifurcate the golf ball, the second was to change the whole game and the final one was doing nothing, something he did not consider any option.
In simple words, the USGA and R&A have been trying to make changes to golf balls. Under the new golf rollback, the balls will travel a limited distance when hit by elite professional players. This means the travel distance by the balls will be reduced by 15-20 yards, which could be game-changing in tournaments.
The two golfing bodies are set to bring in this new rule for both professional and amateur levels. The PGA Tour had earlier criticized this move. Several golfers had voiced their frustrations against this. However, Rory McIlroy seemed convinced about this new rule in March and claimed that it would help professional golf.
Martin Slumbers claims golf rollback decision taken in sight for long-term future
There seems to be no shortage of controversy in golf these days. As the golfers and fans keep their eyes open for the future of golf, the golf rollback proposal is set to bring a huge dynamic shift in the sport. R&A CEO Martin Slumbers has explained the decision taken and claimed that the golf rollback was taken in sight for the long-term future.
The top official claimed that their job was to listen to the words and opinions of others. He though stood firm on his ground and said that they were responsible for this period of golf.
"It was a very strong pushback against that... And our job is to listen. But our responsibility is to the long-term future of the game. …We’re responsible for our period of time...we are listening. And we have made a decision about what we are going to do,"R&A CEO Martin Slumbers through Golf Digest.
It will now be interesting to see how the golfing world reacts to this mega announcement. There is likely going to be more debates from experts on this topic in the upcoming days. How much will this affect the sport of golf going forward is also something to keep a look out for.
In case you missed it:
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Vinay Dave
(1779 Articles Published)