Trump wants the rollback to be scrapped altogether (Image: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Donald Trump has welcomed news that the proposed golf ball rollback will be postponed, and the President is hoping the measure will be scrapped entirely.
On Wednesday, golf’s governing bodies, the USGA and The R&A, revealed that their proposal to limit the distance capabilities of golf balls, originally scheduled for 2028, has been pushed back to 2030.
Elite golfers continue to achieve greater distances, with technological advances playing a major role and making some shorter courses outdated. However, the USGA and R&A have yielded to pressure from players and manufacturers amid conflicting interests throughout the sport. It comes after Trump Marco Rubio takes action after Trump admin’s visa rules caused World Cup heartbreak.
There are also questions about whether the regulations planned for 2028 would have achieved the intended results.
President Trump, a passionate golfer who owns an extensive collection of courses, has been vocal about his opposition to the “ridiculous” proposal and praised Wednesday’s announcement. Rather than a rollback, he advocates for capping golf balls at their current distance capabilities.
President Donald Trump has made his feelings clear on a potential golf ball rollback after plans were put on hold (Image: Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images)
On his Truth Social platform, he posted: “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 a joint announcement released on the eve of the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, the USGA and R&A indicated they were revisiting their approach. “Given these developments, The RandA 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 emphasize 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 RandA, 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.”
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