The PGA of America’s new chief executive starts tenure with a bang: “Time to hit the pause button”
The PGA of America’s new chief executive, Derek Sprague, has suggested golf’s rule makers should hit the pause button on the plan to rollback the ball.
Derek Sprague replaced Seth Waugh on 18 January.
Waugh decided to walk away after his contract ended and in an interview with Golfweek didn’t rule himself out of putting himself forward for the top job with PGA Tour Enterprises.
The 65-year-old also lifted the lid on what U.S. players really said about being paid to compete in the Ryder Cup.
As for Sprague, he has doubled down on the PGA of America’s position regarding limiting how far the golf ball will travel.
He told Golf Digest their position is ‘getting stronger now as we get closer’.
Sprague previously revealed PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan is also against the proposals.
“I don’t know one recreational golfer that wants to hit it shorter,” he told Golf Digest.
Derek Sprague is the new CEO of the @PGA of America. Will he support or oppose the ball rollback?@MichaelBreed asked him, and Sprague did not mince words.
FULL INTERVIEW: https://t.co/QJgOzBToHX pic.twitter.com/LTX4K0kDWb
— SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio (@SiriusXMPGATOUR) January 2, 2025
“I don’t think we want 30 or 40 million golfers to go out and have to not only buy new golf balls, but now buy new equipment to match the new golf ball.
“So it really puts a burden on the recreational player.”
Sprague said he wanted to speak to new R&A boss Mark Darbon.
Darbon replaced Martin Slumbers last November.
Sprague continued: “My point is, I think it’s time to just hit the pause button, bring the leaders together with the governing bodies, and get us all around the table.
“What problem are we trying to solve and let’s solve it.”
The United States Golf Association and R&A officially confirmed the rollback in December 2023.
Professional players will start using new golf balls from 2028 and amateurs will follow two years later.
The R&A and USGA say they want to protect courses that are not long enough to cope with today’s drives of 340 yards and above.
“To me, it’s just — it’s so bad for the game of golf…” Justin Thomas did not hold back when asked about the rollback proposal. @eamonlynch reacts. pic.twitter.com/JUJUXYRAt6
— Golf Today (@GCGolfToday) March 15, 2023
Rory McIlroy is the highest-profile player to support the changes.
Equipment manufacturers, such as TaylorMade and Callaway, are strongly against the rollback.
McIlroy previously said: “I don’t understand the anger about the golf ball roll back.
“The people who are upset about this decision shouldn’t be mad at the governing bodies, they should be mad at elite pros and club/ball manufacturers because they didn’t want bifurcation.
“Elite pros and ball manufacturers think bifurcation would negatively affect their bottom lines, when, in reality, the game is already bifurcated.
“You think we play the same stuff you do?
“They put pressure on the governing bodies to roll it back to a lesser degree for everyone.
“Bifurcation was the logical answer for everyone, but, yet again in this game, money talks.”
Article originally appeared on: Golfmagic.com
As soon as the tours and mfc’s stuck their head in the sand and said no to bifurcation the USGA / R&A had no choice but to slightly limit the ball. All this whining about the rec player is just hiding the bull that the MFC’s dont want to do the work. We wont have to buy new clubs, and almost everyone buys balls every year, and nobody is going to call strokes on a hack playing an old ball for fun. The new balls will be out for 3 years, sure some am’s will stock up, but in the end A. MFC’s will make the balls perform better at lower swing speeds, (think of the marking advantage) and still conform at 125 mph. So the typical player loses nothing.