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Golf Ball Rollback Set for Single Implementation in January 2030
The USGA and R&A, in a joint statement with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, confirmed the Overall Distance Standard change will apply across the game in January 2030. The announcement followed discussions that produced three agreed outcomes.
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The United States Golf Association and R&A will implement a revised Overall Distance Standard for golf balls as a single-date change across the game in January 2030, the two bodies announced Wednesday in a first-ever joint statement with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.
The joint news release stated that the governing bodies agreed on an across-the-game change in how golf balls are tested via the Overall Distance Standard. In March the USGA announced it might not implement a new standard until 2030.
The USGA and R&A had previously stated the new testing rules would apply to elite players in 2028 before affecting all golfers in 2030. The governing bodies, along with PGA Tour leadership, DP World Tour leadership and the PGA Tour Player Advisory Council, held constructive discussions that yielded three outcomes.
The first is an agreement among the governing bodies, including a first formal acknowledgement by the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, that golf faces a distance issue.
The second is that the USGA and R&A recognize both tours have a concern that the updated ODS testing may not achieve the desired result. At the PGA Championship in May, Cameron Young confirmed that he had been playing a ball that conformed to the rollback changes without seeing any significant loss in distance. "Obviously, there is no conforming list," Young said.
"I wasn't aware that it would have [conformed]. I suppose I read something that said it passed that test, but I wasn't aware of that until very recently. So, at no point was that a consideration. " Third, all governing bodies are now open to reconsider alternative approaches that may more materially impact the pace of future distance increases, while minimizing disruption to the overall golf market.
