The hot topic in the golf world the last couple of days has been the possibility of rolling back equipment in the wake of a USGA and R&A joint study that found an increase in driving distance across seven professional tours that amounted to a “deviation” from previous results.
The release was met with immediate pushback from others in the sport, including the PGA of America, Titleist and plenty of players.
But not many took as strong of a stance as 2016 PGA champion Jimmy Walker.
Walker took to Instagram Monday to share his thoughts on the topic, and he made it clear he thinks the USGA’s approach of sweeping change across the board, instead of just focusing on the pros, is flat-out wrong:
“Changing golf for the masses because a small few who play it a different level is wrong,” he wrote. “What I do know is the USGA does not have their fingers on the pulse of the game. Taking away a putter that helps many many people enjoy the game is wrong. Rolling back the golf ball 20% is another bad idea. Ask the normal golfer how much they would enjoy the game if they flew it 20% shorter.”
He also added a Twitter question along the same lines:
Walker’s point was echoed by 2009 U.S. Open winner Lucas Glover, who also took to Twitter to place most of the blame with this issue on the USGA:
This movement to roll the golf ball back seems very reactive by the @USGA, just like the anchoring deal. About 15 years late. The trends were there. Why now? And of course the @PGATOUR gets roped in to try and smooth it over with the players.
— Lucas Glover (@Lucas_Glover_) March 6, 2018
Oh and by the way, there’s one group that made it all legal. The @USGA approved every ball and club they are now scrutinizing. Could have stopped it years ago. Stop blaming the manufacturers for doing their jobs.
— Lucas Glover (@Lucas_Glover_) March 6, 2018
This topic isn’t going away anytime soon and will certainly take plenty more twists and turns before coming to a conclusion. It will be interesting to see if anyone else comes out as forcibly - on either side - as Walker or Glover have.