'You Don’t Have To Hit It In The Middle Anymore To Be A Good Driver Of The Golf Ball Which, To Me, Is Wrong' - Lee Westwood Weighs In On The Technology Debate

There are few players still at the top level of golf who have both seen and achieved as much as Lee Westwood.

The man who now co-captains Majesticks GC in the LIV Golf League began his career as a professional back in 1993 when the sport was a world away from its modern state.

He emerged as a promising pro on the European Tour before ultimately going on to win 44 times, twice become World No.1 and compete in 11 Ryder Cups.

Remarkably, Westwood's pro career began long before many of his rivals were even born. Yet, because of that incredibly longevity, the Englishman has witnessed plenty of change in the sport - both good and bad.

A key area which has been adjusted to an almost unrecognizable level relates to equipment.

Driver heads are bigger and more forgiving, irons are easier to hit and wedges give players more spin and control than ever before. Forgiveness has also moved on leaps and bounds with putters, too.

For the humble amateur, these advancements in technology are widely considered to be a positive as the game has become slightly less frustrating and more enjoyable.

However, for the top pros in the game, it has squeezed fields much closer together and ensured the truly great ball-strikers are unable to stand out as easily as they once did.

Discussing the significant advancement in golf technology since he started playing, Westwood admitted to Golf Monthly's Baz Plummer he's not 100% sure the game is in a better place because of it.

Westwood said: "I think there are a couple of different ways of looking at this. I think from an amateur’s point of view, it does make the game easier for them, which has got to be more enjoyable and, at the end of the day, golf is entertainment.

"But from a professional point of view, for example, a great driver of the golf ball in the 1990s would have had a significant advantage and that advantage has been taken away with the size of the driver head and the golf ball advancements.

"You don’t have to hit it in the middle any more to be a good driver of the golf ball, which to me is wrong."

While golf clubs have undoubtedly progressed since the early 90s, the same is very much true for golf balls.

The subject of how far golf balls travel is under intense scrutiny at the moment given the average distance off the tee on the PGA Tour has increased around 13 yards over the past 10 years and roughly 40 yards since Westwood turned pro in 1993.

As a result, a golf ball rollback has been very much on the agenda of the sport's leading governing bodies for over a year now, with plans to introduce a change in testing no earlier than 2030.

The bottom line, as far as bodies like the USGA and The R&A are concerned, is the ball is being struck too far and something must be done in order to protect the sport's integrity as well as the planet is uses.

The subject itself is quite controversial and no one seems to really have a clear correct answer in terms of how best to solve the issue.

Even Westwood wasn't sure on what exactly should be done, with the 53-year-old simply hoping whatever is done it doesn't penalize amateurs.

Westwood said: "Well, the long players will still be long, won’t they, when the rollback happens? Golf courses can’t keep being made longer. It’s something that needs to change so we can still go and play great golf courses.

"If you’re looking for one of the most famous golf courses in the world, the Old Course at St Andrews, where we’ve been going back to the last few years, there are some guys who have been looking at that golf course thinking, 'I can drive six of these par 4s and overpower the golf course.'

"You can’t keep putting tees back in fields. So, yes, something has to change. I just hope they don’t make it too difficult for the amateur golfer."