PGA of America leadership made it clear that it is not in lockstep with the USGA and R&A’s decision to roll back the distance golf balls can travel during a wide-ranging media briefing Wednesday at the 72nd PGA Show.
The rollback of golf balls is scheduled to take effect in January 2028 for elite competitions such as PGA TOUR, LPGA Tour and other competitions, with everyone ordered to conform by January 2030. The decision, part of the governing bodies’ Distance Insights Project, comes after some three years of “Notice and Comment” in which the USGA and R&A accepted feedback from golf’s stakeholders.
But PGA of America President Don Rea Jr. and CEO Derek Sprague said Wednesday that the PGA and its 30,000 member professionals in 41 Sections throughout the United States strongly oppose the rollback, indicating the issue demands further examination. The USGA and R&A cited data that indicated the long distances high-tech golf balls are traveling are making many golf courses obsolete.
“There needs to be a collaborative effort among all stakeholders to reach a resolution that serves all golfers, not just elite professionals playing the game for a living,” noted Rea. “Our 30,000 PGA Professionals agree that no one wants to hit the golf ball shorter. Who is talking to the 28.1 million recreational golfers and who is their voice? We need to make sure we’re all looking at the same data before a final decision is made. The data coming from PGA Professionals who host hundreds of tournaments and programs at golf courses around the world show that rolling back the ball would not be good for the game.”
“I don’t know a single recreational golfer, or a single professional for that matter, who wants to hit the ball shorter,” echoed Sprague, the new PGA of America CEO whose first days on the job are at the 2025 PGA Show. “We need to revisit the process and consider input from all stakeholders and segments of the golf industry before we rush to judgement. It’s not about (the USGA and R&A trying to save face, it’s about finding a solution. Not only is the majority of golf against rolling back the ball, but enforcing such a rollback would be very challenging for the 30,000 PGA Professionals who manage golf at more than 17,000 courses every day.”
PGA of America leaders also briefly discussed the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte and the Ryder Cup in late September at Bethpage Black in New York during the media briefing Wednesday. When asked about ticket prices and ticket sales for the Ryder Cup, Rea noted, “Let’s not talk about what the money is, but what the money does to fund ongoing programs.”
Talking about the selection of Sprague as the first former PGA of America President to now serve as CEO, Rea said, “We wanted the CEO to be a PGA Professional, but the right PGA Professional. It was a long process, but we wanted to get it right. Derek is the perfect fit because he is not only knowledgeable and experienced, but holds a strong passion for the PGA of America and for PGA Professionals, since he was one on the front lines for so long.”