'A Tragedy' - Gary Player Says Golf Ball Should Be Cut Back 60 Yards In Strong Distance Debate Comments

It may not be an exaggeration to say nine-time Major winner Gary Player has never 'sat on a fence' in his life, and the 90-year-old maintained that stance when asked for his thoughts on a potential golf ball rollback at The Masters this week.

A topic which has been in and out of headlines for several years now, the golf ball rollback has been deemed necessary by many due to the distance professionals are hitting it and the wider strain it is placing on the game and those natural resources it relies on.

However, others argue that equipment is the problem - specifically that driver heads are far too large and forgiving.

But with something needing to be done, the R&A and USGA initially planned to introduce the rollback - which would see the distance of the longest hitters reduced by 13 to 15 yards - from 2028 for professional golf. However, that now looks like being pushed to 2030.

Shortly after helping to kick off the 90th edition of The Masters alongside Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson on Thursday, the flexible South African shared his thoughts on the subject.

Player, who won The Masters three times in his career, admitted that he is a huge proponent of bifurcation and called the current situation "a tragedy."

Player said: "I believe the ball should be cut back 60 yards, only for professional golf. Leave everyone to golf as it is. They're the heart of the game, but professional golf is not. With regard to professional golf, cut the ball back 60 yards.

"It's a tragedy. We got away from the concept of golf when it started originally, a par-5, a par-4, and a par-3. There is no such thing as a par-5 in the world today. We saw Rory [McIlroy] with a 7-iron last year when he won the Masters, they're hitting 8-irons and 7-irons to par-5s.

"Now I remember Jack, who's as long as anybody playing golf today other than [Bryson] DeChambeau, at the 3rd hole is vivid in my mind. He used to hit a driver and a wedge, and now they drive over the green!

"They'll drive the first green here very easily. They're going to be driving many, many par-4s. So where are we going?"

Player - who turned professional in 1953 - went on to argue that, in his eyes, hundreds of millions of dollars are being "wasted" on lengthening golf courses rather than channeling that money into other worthwhile causes.

Player continued: "Here's the crucial thing. The amount of money that we're spending around the world probably rates to $100 million. Whatever the figure is, it's exorbitant. They're putting that money into making golf courses longer.

"We're running out of water in the world, fertilization, machinery is so expensive, labor, oil, whatever cost you want to put in there. Where are we going? That money is being wasted, or if they cut the ball back, we don't have to make these changes.

"Look what they've done here. It's amazing when you think what this golf course used to play and what it plays now.

"That money could be allocated to African American areas where they need to be able to play golf and encourage them to play golf, for schools, for hospitals. We're just wasting the money. That's the crucial thing for me.

"I don't know where we go. What's going to happen in 30 years' time is going to be beyond one's imagination."

'Mr Fitness was not alone in his support of a golf ball rollback, either, with both Watson and Nicklaus backing the idea. However, the other two Honorary Starters at The Masters stopped short of quantifying how much needed to be done.

Watson said: "I'm in agreement with the move to reduce the distance to the golf ball. How far that is removed is a question...

"You add the equipment, the large-headed drivers, and you also have to add the fact that the players are stronger, and they work out, and they create more club head speed.

"Where do you draw the line on the distance is the real question? But I do believe it should be drawn back."

Six-time Masters champion Nicklaus echoed the points made by his two peers and stated, somewhat facetiously, that the minor tweaks being suggested are nowhere near enough.

Arguably the best golfer of all time went on to argue that a unified golf ball rollback would be best for the game but repeated his view that a minor change would not solve the sport's problems.

Nicklaus said: "Gary and Tom are both very accurate at what they're saying about what's going on. The golf ball needs to be reined in.

"What they're doing right now is throwing a deck chair off the Titanic, and it's not getting enough done. It needs to really come back.

"I know a lot of people don't like that, but I think Gary is absolutely right. It's land costs, water, fertilization, the cost to play the game of golf, the time it takes to play -- all those things are factors in why the golf ball needs to come back.

"Now, the program that they have, as I understand it, will amount to about 12 yards for maybe a Rory McIlroy. It will amount to you all out there less than a yard.

"It really isn't going to affect you very much, but it will affect the pros a little bit. That's a little bit close to the bifurcation that Gary was talking about.

"My feeling is that they're never going to bring it back to the level they need to bring it back to."