The Great Golf Debate: Woods and Fowler Disagree on Rollback Issue

Reports indicate that the USGA and R&A are preparing to introduce a rule change that will affect the entire golfing community, not just the professional players. This anticipated announcement has sparked conflicting reactions from some prominent PGA Tour players.

Expected to be officially revealed early next week, according to Golf Digest, the rule change will render nearly all golf balls, whether used professionally or recreationally, non-conforming. This is a departure from the previously proposed plan to only regulate the golf balls for elite players.

Tiger Woods has been a vocal advocate for a rollback and has long supported the concept of bifurcation, where different rules apply to elite and recreational players. The Golf Digest report suggests a period of bifurcation starting in 2028, with all golfers competing under the same ball rules by 2030.

“We’ve been hammering, the ball needs to slow down, but it has kept speeding up my entire career and here we are,” Woods commented after his third round at the Hero World Challenge. “I told you guys, I’ve always been for bifurcation. I’ve always said that. Just like wood bats and metal bats.”

Meanwhile, Rickie Fowler expressed opposition to any rollback.

“I feel like [the USGA and R&A] missed this 20 years ago,” Fowler stated. “When you look at the state of golf, where it is today, I don’t think it’s ever been in a better place, so I’d ask, why [roll back the golf ball]?

“When you look at it across the board, everyone who plays golf, those weekend golfers aren’t going to be super excited to go hit it shorter. I think it’s terrible, I don’t think the golf ball is the one thing to go after and it’s not the USGA or the R&A who are paying for it.”

As per Golf Digest, the rule alteration is anticipated to reduce the distance traveled by professional players by about 5 percent (or 15 yards on a 300-yard drive). The impact on amateur golfers with slower swing speeds remains uncertain.