The distance debate has another study to consider. On Monday morning, the USGA and R&A released a joint study of professional tours that found “unusual and concerning increases” in distance deviated from findings in previous studies.
While the debate can be swung on factors such as physical fitness, athletic ability, technology and equipment, the most commonly accepted scapegoat is the golf ball. While the ball isn’t specifically named the issue, it’s believed to be the most logical piece of equipment to be amended.
The full distance report can be downloaded as a PDF here.
USGA REPORT: Driver Distance For Amateurs
If the problem does exist, it’s only for a tiny % of golfers. And even then there is no problem.#mygolfspy pic.twitter.com/UdcjdkV3XK
— MyGolfSpy (@MyGolfSpy) March 5, 2018
GolfChannel.com’s Will Gray had more on the USGA and R&A’s joint release.
The study found that distance gains have increased more than three yards since 2016, one year after the same study found that incremental gains were a “slow creep” of 0.2 yards per year since 2003. The findings will not result in any immediate rule changes, but instead will spark further evaluation of the issue.
“Variability in driving distance of four or more yards from season to season is not uncommon,” the joint release read. “However, this level of increase across so many tours in a single season is unusual and concerning and requires closer inspection and monitoring to fully understand the causes and effects.”
Remaining focused on golf’s long-term interests, we will fully understand how increased distance affects all levels of the game. pic.twitter.com/KlKVg9d9yR
— USGA (@USGA) March 5, 2018
The professional tours examined by the study include the PGA Tour, European Tour, Web.com Tour, Japan Golf Tour, PGA Tour Champions, LPGA and Ladies’ European Tour.
According to the study, the largest distance increases from 2016 to 2017 came on the Web.com (6.9 yards on average), LET (6.4 yards) and Japan Golf Tour (5.9 yards). The increase on the PGA Tour was 2 yards for all holes and 2.5 yards on measured holes, while distance actually went down on the LPGA by 0.8 yards last year.
The report explains that it is “paramount” to maintain the balance between skill and technology, but also notes that increased distance can lead to longer and more “resource-intensive” golf courses that could in turn increase operating costs at the local level. In addition to the distance report, both organizations will carry out a “comprehensive analysis” on the impact of distance increases on “both the playing and overall health of golf.”
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