In his return to work as commissioner, Jay Monahan has told players that the PGA Tour will not be supporting the R&A and USGA in their proposal to rollback the golf ball.
There has long been concern over the effect of the sport’s big hitters on the men's game, and in March the governing bodies confirmed a golf ball rollback plan aimed at reducing hitting distances.
Players have mostly been against it, as have golf equipment manufacturers, although Rory McIlroy has been one of the few who are not opposed to the idea - with the thought being that it would place more emphasis on better ball striking with long irons.
At least Brian Harman's superb Open Championship victory showed that you don't have to be a big hitter to win the Claret Jug, as he dominated a field using strategy to get around Royal Liverpool.
However, if the R&A and USGA are to get their proposed a Model Local Rule (MLR) that would give competition organisers the option to use golf balls that have been tested to curb the distance, it will be without the PGA Tour's help.
"We have spent the last two years undertaking a comprehensive analysis of distance on the PGA Tour and it's impact," Monahan wrote in a memo to the players.
"Although there has been some level of support for limiting future increases, there is widespread and significant belief the proposed Modified Local Rule is not warranted and is not in the best interest of the game.
"We have notified the USGA and R&A that while the PGA Tour is committed to collaborating with them - and all industry partners - to arrive at a solution that will best serve our players, our fans and the game at all levels, we are not able to support the MLR as proposed.
Jay Monahan sent a memo to PGA Tour players this evening. - Tour does NOT support proposed rollback rule on elite competition- Search committee formed for Randall Stephenson replacement- Player Benefit Program ($$$) for Tour loyalists is central part of negotiation w/ PIF pic.twitter.com/O6213QmpThJuly 27, 2023
"As the formal feedback period to the USGA and R&A comes to an end and this process evolves, I will be in touch with updates."
That could well be the end of the line for the proposal, given that the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf will be working together in the future - they'll all presumably refuse to adopt the proposal.
So it seems that for now the big-hitting bombers on the PGA Tour could be safe to keep launching the ball huge distances and golf's lawmakers may have to think again if they want to try and limit the effects distance has on the game.
