Despite the opposition from professional players, USGA Commissioner Mike Van said on Wednesday that the governing body is “full speed” on the plan to “roll back” the golf ball.
Van spoke with reporters at the Omont Country Club outside Pittsburgh before the first round of the US Open on Thursday. The upcoming equipment rules were one of the main subjects he addressed.
In December 2023, USGA (controlling US and Mexico) and R&A (covering the rest of the world of golf) announced that they would change the speed standard used to test the golf balls starting in January 2028. The change will affect the entertaining golfer starting in 2030 only “, he said at that time.
The PGA Tour and the US PGA opposed the move, but Van said on Wednesday that the “stakeholder meeting” recently felt encouraging him at the Players Championships.
“Listen, I think it’s not easy and everyone has got their own components,” Van said. “I will only say what I said again yesterday, as an industry we should be able to make small adjustments that are in the best interest of the game, which we all know that 40 years would be better than now if we were smart enough to make them today.
“We will make them. Not everyone will like it. It will be a high worry until we will not reach there. But no one is going to die. The game is going to be very good. … Yes, if I am honest with you, we are ahead of what we announce.
Asked if the USGA and R&A have a plan B, Wan counters, “We have announced our plan.”
Ultimately, the goal is to reduce a player’s driving distance, which the leaders have agreed that the game is essential for a long time health.
For now, golf ball makers are in research and development phase and governing bodies are presenting prototypes. Van stated that USGA will be “open-minded” for new data that can change its position, as of interbus, that the current pursuit for distance from T is not durable for the future of golf-but it is still to face such data.
“When I first told Jack (Nicum) about it,” Van shared, “his comment,” Well, this is a good start, Mike, but both you and I know that it’s not enough. ” He is very consistent from the beginning.
“” But what we have to do is to stop the speed, the slope of the curve that is for the last 20 to 40 years for the last 20 to 40 years. And this is the same. Anyone who thinks that it is more than that, including Jack, which was with many conversations about it, is that it changes that it will be a significant impact and it will not be a significant effect with today. ,
WHAN and Usga Chief Championship Officer John Bodenhaimmer covered several other issues, including:
-Ocont will be broadly slightly longer than five inches, and dense this week. Players practicing on the syllabus have difficulty in punching the ball in some way or the other.
“We have a lot of spotters, but there is no guarantee that we will not lose a golf ball or two, but we are going to do everything we can’t do so,” Bodenhamemer said. “But we feel good about it. As I said, I think the players will have an advantage to the players who run the ball in the fair, there will be no question about it.”
The players of the ground know what they are doing, of course. Omont Long has been considered the most difficult test of the championship golf in the US, and Van said about 1,385 golfers who have played a major championship in Omkont, 27 remained equal after four days – less than 2 percent.
“Clearly, we give the players all – we are very transparent,” Van said. “We show them that our plans are for green speed, rough height, everything, what are for our bite documents. We think it is right to do so.”
-Fill Mikelson has been transparent about the possibility that this week can mark their final US Open.
He was given a special discount at the 2021 US Open, but presented the moot when he won the PGA Championship at the age of 50, assuring an invitation to the next five US Open. It runs in Pennsylvania this week.
Bodenhaymer did not deny the idea that the USGA would again give Mikelson a special discount.
“It likes anything; we will review things for Shinkock before next year and look at all those possibilities and evaluate it from there.
“I think the way we will also think about Phil that we hope he earns his way, and I think he will tell you the same thing.”
Mikelson has won six major tournaments, only the US Open has opened them. He has finished second in the event.
-SGA’s media rights will be for talks in 2027. NBC’s exclusive conversation window is over, and its current deal lasts till 2026.
“I think I would say that there is a level of interest including our current partners, which are unprecedented, have been very good,” Van said. “We are not yet at the point where we are almost. We are months far away, it is not a matter of weeks to find out what the future is, but I would say that the width of interest, which is really a great statement for the game, not only a great statement for the USGA Championship, but the width of the statements and the quantity of the people coming to the table is really thrilling.”
Fox signed a deal to take several USGA championships starting in 2015, but got out of the agreement after five years. NBC, which already bear the PGA Tour Golf, raised earlier rights before 2015.
Van did not comment on the idea that the rights package could be divided between the US Open and US women’s opens that can separate themselves from amateur championships.
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