'We've Got To Cut The Ball Back 50, 60 Yards' - Gary Player Calls For Drastic Rollback Plan
The three-time Masters champion insists that the golf ball needs to be drastically rolled back for the sake of the game
On Wednesday, Fred Ridley announced that Augusta National supports the golf ball rollback plan put forward by governing bodies The R&A and the USGA, but Gary Player thinks it needs to go even further.
The three-time Masters champion spoke to the media after performing his role as one of the three honorary starters at The Masters, and, like Ridley, he has insisted something needs to be done to curb driving distances in the game.
Player began by arguing that, because of the increased athleticism of modern-day players, the game has changed radically since his prime years of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
He said: “Where are we going, you look at the Tour, in 30 years, plus, minus, they will all hit the ball 400 yards because there's such great incentivization. They are going around the college, gyms now doing weight training. Rory McIlroy showed me yesterday, he does a dead lift, 400 pounds.
“So this is where we are going, and this is where we need the R&A and the USGA and the PGA to get together wisely in making a decision about a golf ball because golf is - nothing about the game today, not one single thing, is the same as when we played. Not one single thing.”
The latest plan will see the golf ball rolled back for professional, elite amateur and recreational players to "reduce the impact increased hitting distances have on golf's long-term sustainability.”
That’s seen as a pressing issue as driving distances trend upwards, leaving courses, including Augusta National, needing to lengthen holes to accommodate the biggest-hitting players.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
The plan will see the longest elite male hitters expected to see a reduction of as much as 13-15 yards of driving distance. Meanwhile, average professional tour and elite male players are expected to see a reduction of 9-11 yards, with a 5-7-yard reduction for an average LET or LPGA player.
Player argued that the very essence of the game would be lost without a rollback, but he thinks the plan needs to go considerably further. He continued: “We’ve got to cut the ball back 60 yards, 50 yards. Otherwise, the whole concept of the game, the history of the game, the par 5, par 4, par 3, that’s gone. There are no more par 5s. These young guys are hitting 8-irons to par 5s. So we are changing the whole history of the game.”
One of the contentious issues of the rollback plan is that, rather than bifurcation, which was originally proposed, it will affect all levels of the game, albeit two years earlier, in 2028, for the elite game, but Player suggested that the professional and amateur games can no longer be considered the same.
“Now, they are two different games,” he said. “The R&A never agreed with me that they are two different games, professional and amateur. Go watch Jack Nicklaus in his prime or Tom or Tiger. You’ll see how different it is to the way you guys play.”
Ridley pointed out that The Masters had been played at just over 6,900 yards for 70 years, but today Augusta National measures 7,550 yards, and said he hoped it wouldn’t need to be lengthened much more, stating: “I’m holding to that 8,000-yard red line.”
Player also insisted that continuing to increase the length of the courses to address the issue is not sustainable when, as he sees it, the solution is straightforward. He said: “They have to cut that ball back, I don’t know what’s going to happen. They talk about making golf courses longer. The world is running out of water, seriously, and the costs of the machine, the mower, fertilizer, labor, why do that?
“It’s so simple, cut the ball back. Very, very simple. And so I’m quite concerned about where the game of golf is going.”
Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.
He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.
Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.
Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.
-
Original Penguin Martini Print Golf Polo Shirt Review
Nick Bonfield dons this colorful garment and puts it thoroughly through its paces in this polo shirt review
By Nick Bonfield Published
-
FootJoy ProLite Golf Shoe Review
Nick Bonfield takes the FootJoy ProLite shoe out for a spin on the golf course in this review
By Nick Bonfield Published
-
Scheffler The New Tiger? Time For Woods To Say Goodbye? 10 Takeaways From The 2024 Masters
We highlight ten of the key stories to come from the 88th edition of the Masters
By Michael Weston Published
-
Tommy Fleetwood Banks Huge Sum For Local Augusta Caddie After Englishman's Best Masters Result
Gray Moore is a former Augusta National caddie master who was helping Fleetwood out after his regular caddie Ian Finnis was forced to stay home
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
Eight Masters Contenders In The Field For This Week's $20 Million RBC Heritage
There's no respite for the world's elite as, following the Masters, the PGA Tour circuit moves to Harbour Town and the RBC Heritage
By Matt Cradock Published
-
How Social Media Reacted To Scottie Scheffler's Second Masters Victory
Social media was awash with fans, legends, and brands congratulating Scheffler over his second Masters win in three years
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
Masters Runner-Up Ludvig Aberg Has Major Ambitions (And World No.1 Goal)
The Swede sensation is targeting Major glory after pushing World No.1 Scottie Scheffler all the way at Augusta
By Michael Weston Published
-
'My Identity Is Secure Forever' - Scottie Scheffler's Mindset Provides The Fuel To Secure A Second Green Jacket
Scheffler's second Masters win came with his first child due in a matter of weeks. His mindset off the course is clearly helping him do great things on it.
By Dan Parker Published
-
The Internet's Best Reactions To Tiger Woods Appearing To Shake Hands With A Tree
The perfect camera angle, the perfect meme. Here's the internet's best reactions to Tiger's unusual handshake
By Dan Parker Published
-
Scottie Scheffler’s Caddie Ted Scott Has Now Won The Masters Four Times
After victories in 2012 and 2014, Ted Scott has now picked up Masters wins with Scottie Scheffler in 2022 and 2024!
By Matt Cradock Published