Donald Trump has reacted to a golf rule change announcement made by The R&A and the USGA before the US Open at Shinnecock Hills, hailing the delay of plans to roll back the golf ball and hoping the proposal is shelved permanently.
Golf's governing bodies confirmed on Wednesday that their scheme to curtail the distance potential of golf balls, originally set to come into force in 2028, has been pushed back until 2030. Top-level players continue to hit the ball ever further due to technological advances, leaving some shorter courses effectively redundant. However, The R&A and USGA have capitulated to pressure from players and manufacturers amid conflicting interests from various corners of the sport. Concerns have also been raised that the regulations due to take effect in 2028 would have fallen short of their intended goals.
Donald Trump, a passionate golfer and proprietor of an extensive portfolio of courses, has made no secret of his contempt for what he has called the 'ridiculous' notion, and he warmly welcomed Wednesday's announcement. Rather than a rollback, he believes the distance potential of golf balls should be capped at their current level.
He wrote on his Truth Social platform: 'Congratulations to Commissioner Brian Rolapp, the PGA Tour, and the governing bodies, and also, the Great U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, for a BIG VICTORY where the USGA wanted to roll back the distance of a golf ball, for whatever reason, and now they are precluded from doing so, at least for a long number of years.'
'It was a ridiculous idea, that nobody wanted, especially PGA Tour players, and people that don't want to go to a Course to be told that their drives will be going 20 yards shorter.'
'What the USGA should do is agree that, far into the future, they will not allow the current ball to go further. In other words, they will keep the ball the same! The game of golf is 'hot as a pistol.' The last thing we should do is tell people that, for no reason whatsoever, you will not be able to hit a ball as far as you used to. Has anyone ever heard of anything so ridiculous? President DONALD J. TRUMP.'
In their joint announcement released on the eve of the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, the USGA and R&A confirmed they were returning to the drawing board. 'Given these developments, the R&A and USGA will take the appropriate amount of time to assess a range of possible options and determine the path forward,' the statement read.
'Specifically, the governing bodies will work closely with key stakeholders – including the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and their respective members – to review, test and implement options that have a meaningful impact on distance at the elite level. These efforts will ensure the elite game does not become too one-dimensional while continuing to emphasise the importance of shotmaking.'
'There will be no change to the ODS testing approach until January 2030 while these options are evaluated. The USGA, The R&A, PGA Tour and DP World Tour are confident in the path forward and committed to working collaboratively, and with other key stakeholders, to ensure the long-term health of the game.'
