"It could lead to division" PGA of America boss SLAMS golf ball rollback plans
PGA of America boss Seth Waugh has no interest in altering the golf ball for professional circuits beginning in 2026, as proposed by USGA and R&A.
PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh has hit back at the USGA and R&A's proposals to alter the golf ball for professional circuits beginning in 2026, according to a memo obtained by Golf Channel.
Earlier this season, golf's governing bodies the USGA and R&A revealed plans to rollback the golf ball at Tour level in a bid to curb the ever-increasing distances being achieved among the men's pro ranks across the globe.
The golf ball rollback proposals may have sat well with PGA Tour legend Rory McIlroy, who explained his "selfish" opinion in a recent interview, but many other stars could not disagree more.
Would you like to see the proposed golf ball rollback plans go ahead in the pro game in 2026?
— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) August 7, 2023
Justin Thomas 'ranted' on this subject for several minutes before the Valspar Championship earlier this season.
Sam Burns then joined in, criticising the "silly" idea.
Patrick Cantlay and Rickie Fowler ripped into it at length.
Former European Ryder Cup winning captain and now golf analyst Paul McGinley has had plenty to say on the subject, too.
But it's the views of PGA of America boss Seth Waugh that could have the biggest say in quashing the USGA and R&A's plans.
The PGA of America, not the PGA Tour, runs the US PGA Championship and the Senior PGA Championship.
It also co-organizes the Ryder Cup with Ryder Cup Europe, which is controlled by the European Tour.
That is why the 2023 US Ryder Cup team captained by Zach Johnson is currently permitted to have as many LIV Golf players on their team as possible as the biennial event is run by the PGA of America.
| Move aside, Phil Mickelson and Collin Morikawa.
LIV Golf's Brooks Koepka and PGA of America boss Seth Waugh have combined to create golf's latest meme. pic.twitter.com/A45kivxLbo— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) May 22, 2023
In Waugh's hard-hitting memo sent to the USGA and R&A last month, which was today obtained by Golf Channel's Rex Hoggard, the PGA of America boss revealed he fears "division" by going down such a rollback route in the pro game.
Waugh delved deeper into a number of different issues he sees by rolling back the golf ball, and he also explained how he was not comfortable with elite women playing a "recreational ball" as it "could be viewed very negatively".
READ WAUGH'S LETTER HERE:
World Alliance of PGA’s (including the PGA of America) push back on proposed Model Local Rule on the golf ball, in memo obtained by https://t.co/ojzg81G2up pic.twitter.com/wpBfzkrzPX
— Rex Hoggard (@RexHoggardGC) August 7, 2023
Waugh wrote:
In June, Waugh hit out at the PGA Tour's shock merger with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), claiming "our brand has been dragged into it."
Watched our latest YouTube video with Good Good?
The boys came to join us for a Ryder Cup challenge match on our Island Green while we were all up at The Open last month.
One of the team captains got pied!
Andy first joined the brand on a month's work experience back in April 2011, and he now assumes the Editor role. When Andy joined GolfMagic it was a small site with potential.
