NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. – The USGA and R&A’s goal to rein in how far the game’s best players hit the golf ball took a curious turn Tuesday when multiple sources confirmed that Cameron Young has been using a golf ball that would very likely be deemed conforming under the new testing standards.
The USGA and R&A announced in December 2023 a plan to change the Overall Distance Standard (ODS), which would roll back the ball for elite players by 13 to 15 yards in driver distance, according to the rule maker’s original statement. Essentially, the “testing conditions” would increase to 125-mph clubhead speed and an 11-degree launch angle from the current 120-mph clubhead speed and 10-degree launch angle. The testing limit of 317 yards (with 3 yards of tolerance) remains unchanged.
But those estimates, which have been challenged by some manufacturers as well as the PGA of America, will be scrutinized in the wake of Young’s move to a Titleist Pro V1x Double Dot at last year’s Wyndham Championship.
Although there is currently no conforming list of golf balls using the new standard, sources confirmed the Pro V1x Double Dot was tested and conformed under the new conditions.
The ball was designed to produce less spin – not to conform to the new standard, which is currently set to begin in 2028, although the rule makers have suggested implementation may be pushed back to 2030 – allowing Young to better control his irons and wedges. Normally that kind of trade off comes with slightly shorter drives, but that was not the case for Young.
Before last year’s Wyndham Championship, which Young won for his first PGA Tour victory, he ranked 17th on Tour in driving distance (all drives) with a 302.7-yard average. He has the exact same average (302.7 yards) in 2026 and, anecdotally, he hit the longest recorded drive in the ShotLink era on the final hole at The Players Championship (375 yards) on his way to victory.
The USGA declined to comment.
About a half-dozen players have used the same golf ball on the PGA Tour since last fall and Young’s performance with it since then will certainly fuel opponents of the rollback.
According to various sources, golf balls that would be deemed conforming under the new standard do not impact players uniformly. Players who spin the golf ball more, like Young, don’t see as much of a drop off in speed and distance as those who spin the ball less.
“I just feel like they [the R&A and USGA] are not going to achieve what they want to achieve the way they are going about trying to roll back the ball,” said Adam Scott, who added that he experienced roughly a 2-yard drop in driving distance when he tested a golf ball that would be conforming under the new standard. “There’s a lot of different factors that could be addressed to get the desired result which I could be in favor of.”
Scott, like many Tour players, suggested a better way to address distance gains would be to dial back driver clubhead sizes and shaft lengths.
Young’s use of a golf ball that would be conforming under the new standard and his performance since last fall – he has three victories in his last 15 starts – also reinforces the notion that the majority of Tour players don’t play the golf ball they hit the farthest.
“It’s laughable that they think we use the longest golf balls that are available to us. They think we optimize for distance, that’s ludicrous,” Lucas Glover said. “Nobody hits the ball we can hit the furthest, we use a ball that’s the best all around. A lot of guys use a ball that doesn’t go as far for more feel.”
