I was initially quite surprised to learn The R&A and USGA were announcing, and have now announced a universal rollback of the golf ball, to be phased in from 2028. On reflection though, it was an inevitable conclusion to a protracted process, albeit a conclusion I feel will be disappointing for most amateur golfers.
Distance has been on the radar of the governing bodies for years and I’ve been following the debate for nigh on two decades. In 2018, The R&A and USGA launched a comprehensive Distance Insights Project which involved extensive review, research, testing and consultation. That led to an announcement in March this year of a proposed “Model Local Rule” (MLR) that could be used in elite events to ensure competitors play a limited-distance golf ball. Feedback was then sought on that proposal.
