At Oakmont, Mike Whan doubles down on golf ball rollback: 'We're full-speed ahead'
With the U.S. Open returning to Oakmont Country Club this week, USGA CEO Mike Whan made it clear that despite resistance from the PGA Tour and equipment manufacturers, the governing body is moving forward with its plans to roll back golf ball performance beginning in 2028.
Speaking Wednesday during a pre-tournament press conference, Whan acknowledged the anxiety and controversy surrounding the USGA and R&A's distance-reducing protocols — but he also emphasized the industry needs to take a long-term view.
'We're full-speed ahead on what we've announced,' Whan said. 'Those decisions have been made.'
The goal, Whan reiterated, is not to take anything away from the game now but to slow the pace of distance gains that have steadily reshaped men's professional and elite amateur golf over the past decades.
'I get this isn't easy, and everybody has got their own constituents.' What said. 'As an industry, we have to be able to make small adjustments that are in the best interest of the game long-term, that we all know would be better 40 years from now if we were smart enough to make them today.'
What's actually changing — and why it matters
Starting in January 2028, golf ball manufacturers will have to design their balls to comply with new testing parameters under the Overall Distance Standard (ODS). Instead of testing at a clubhead speed of 120 mph, with a launch angle of 10 degrees and spin rate around 2,520 rpm, the new protocol, the test robot will swing a titanium test club at 125 mph, create an 11-degree launch angle and 2,200 rpm of spin.
Under the 2028 testing guidelines, nearly all of today's premium golf balls would be non-conforming, so manufacturers will need to create new balls before 2028 that are slower or produce less distance in order to be deemed conforming and legal for play.
To ease the transition, amateur golfers won't be held to the new rules until January 2030, allowing manufacturers and retailers time to adjust stock.
Pushback from the pros
Since the plan was announced in December, 2023, the idea of changing how golf balls are tested and mandating the use of reduced-distance golf balls has drawn criticism from several corners of the golf world.
The PGA Tour, which initially supported a previous version of the rollback under a Model Local Rule, has seemed to reverse course and has not publicly endorsed the finalized rule. Golfweek's Adam Schupak spoke in March with PGA Tour player Brian Harman, who is a member of the tour's Player Advisory Board, and he said, 'I think it's a bad idea. I can't get on board. There are so many more steps we can take to mitigate distance with golf course setup, driver set up before you force companies to R&D a bunch of things.'
Whan, who previously served as commissioner of the LPGA Tour and who was an executive vice president with TaylorMade, didn't downplay the tensions involved. But he said discussions between governing bodies and stakeholders have been productive.
'I'm encouraged by the collaborative nature of the discussions,' he said. 'Not everybody will like it. It'll be high anxiety until we get there. But nobody is going to die. The game is going to be great.'
A move for the future
Whan was asked directly whether the USGA would move ahead with the rollback even if professional tours and ball manufacturers don't support it.
His answer left little room for ambiguity.
'This is our job as governance,' Whan said. 'We don't have the same conflicts and contracts and biases. And it's not a fun one.'
Whan referenced conversations he's had with Jack Nicklaus, a longtime proponent of rolling back distance in golf. While Nicklaus recently said he'd be willing to 'freeze' current performance levels rather than roll them back, Whan suggested the USGA's plan essentially accomplishes that — just over a longer time frame.
'If you want to keep the distance where it is today, this action that we're talking about is essentially that,' Whan said. 'Maybe in 10 or 15 years, it will feel like the growth of that curve is pretty slow as opposed to the pace we're dealing with today.'
Holding the line
At its core, Whan said, the USGA's motivation isn't about nostalgia or pleasing any one constituency. It's about taking the long view, even if the benefits won't be obvious for a decade or more.
'We'll be handing [future generations] something we could have made small adjustments on,' Whan said. 'And we will.'
The first U.S. Open where the rollback would take effect is expected to be in 2028 — at Pebble Beach, one of the shortest courses on the current major championship rotation.
For Whan, the message is clear: The rollback is coming, and the USGA isn't waiting for everyone to agree.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC Sports
4 hours ago
- NBC Sports
Decorated Megha Ganne adds U.S. Women's Amateur title in seventh and final try
BANDON, Ore. – Katie Rudolph's introduction to Megha Ganne came at a driving range in Union, New Jersey. It took just a few swings from the 7-year-old Ganne that day at Galloping Hill to captivate Rudolph, who then raced to Ganne's parents to ask them if she could take the reins as Ganne's coach. 'She was basically a miniature version of who she is right now,' Rudolph said. A big personality with an even bigger game. And it wasn't long before Rudolph was telling Ganne, 'Let's go be the best in the world.' Ganne took a massive leap toward that goal on Sunday at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, where the now 21-year-old Ganne, a rising senior at Stanford, took down Michigan State grad Brooke Biermann, 4 and 3, in the scheduled 36-hole final of the 125th U.S. Women's Amateur. 'I'm not going to lie, I was thinking about this trophy like the entire day,' said Ganne, who never trailed against Biermann. Six times the intricate Robert Cox Trophy had eluded Ganne, a veteran of now 15 USGA championship starts, but no more. She gripped that thing tight and with both hands hoisted it way into the crisp, oceanside air. 'It's so much harder than it seems to win one of these,' Ganne said, 'and it takes not only like a lot of patience, tries at it, but so many things working in your favor – good health, good luck, good fortune, and good timing. All those things coming together just feels like it's fate.' Ganne entered this week ranked 11th in the world amateur rankings and with a sparkling resumé, even from a young age. She was a four-time Drive, Chip and Putt national finalist. She qualified for her first U.S. Girls' Junior in 2017, at just 13 years old, and a few weeks later did the same for her first U.S. Women's Amateur. Two years after that, she was the youngest match-play qualifier by four years at the 2019 U.S. Women's Amateur before losing in the semifinals in 19 holes to Albane Valenzuela. Then came Olympic. In her second U.S. Women's Open appearance, a 17-year-old Ganne arrived on the national stage in San Francisco by leading after the first round and later booking her place in Sunday's final pairing. Though she'd slip to T-14, she still captured low-amateur honors – and everyone's attention. 'We flew under the radar for a long time,' Rudolph said, 'but when Olympic happened, it was like, 'OK, let's say goodbye to those days because you're officially on the radar. You're going to be it moving forward.'' Ganne was the Rolex AJGA Junior Player of the Year that winter. The next summer, she went 3-0 in her Curtis Cup debut at Merion before heading off to Stanford, where she's won twice in three seasons while playing a pivotal role in the Cardinal's 2024 NCAA Championship, plus national runners-up in 2023 and this past spring. But when Ganne would hit putts in her family's basement in Holmdel, New Jersey, some 45 minutes south of New York City, it was to win USGA titles. She's always held these championships in high regards – the star-studded fields, elite venues, unmatched history. 'Every time the USGA sends me a feedback form, I never know what to say because I don't know how it could possibly get better,' Ganne said. Ganne was disqualified from her final U.S. Girls' Junior in 2022 for signing for an incorrect score, and she missed last year's U.S. Women's Amateur after withdrawing the week of with food poisoning, a fitting end to a frustrating summer that also saw Ganne miss the Curtis Cup and miss extended time with hip and back injuries. But that adversity strengthened Ganne, now healthier and more pliable, who navigated 119 holes this week on the David McLay Kidd layout. She tied for 10th in stroke play before winning each of her first four matches without needing to play the par-5 18th hole. That momentum, however, came to a screeching halt in Saturday's semifinal opposite Australia's Ella Scaysbrook, who led 4 up with seven holes to play. On the ropes, Ganne thought about that fearless 15-year-old who nearly pulled off the unthinkable. If she could rally then, surely she could again in what will be her last U.S. Women's Amateur (she will be pro by next summer). 'There are so many more things to believe in now, although I had a lot of belief at 15 as well,' Ganne said. 'But at 15, I don't think I had nearly the toolset that I do now; I have so many more shots in the bag, my physical game has evolved, my mental game has evolved. It felt like when I was 15, I had to be playing my absolute best golf just to contend with these players, which is a totally different feeling than I have now. I feel like if I play golf that I know is well within my limits and my control, I feel like I'm going to be tough to beat.' Ganne prevailed in 19 holes to book her place in the championship match against Biermann, who was arguably the sentimental favorite, a bubbly blonde from St. Louis with her dad, Bill, on the bag and younger sister Ashleigh, who has battled a rare chromosomal condition, walking the fairways. Biermann was also a sizable underdog. Ganne birdied two of the first three holes to take a 2-up lead through three holes of the morning portion. Though Biermann immediately responded with lengthy birdie makes to tie the match through five frames, the flatstick would soon be her downfall. She whiffed on 3-footers at Nos. 7 and 13, and Ganne went into the lunch break leading, 3 up. Biermann found a couple sparks in the afternoon, most notably a 12-foot birdie conversion at the par-5 13th to get the ledger back to 3 down. But when she three-putted from just off the green and about 25 feet away at the par-4 14th, Biermann knew that was it. Ganne and her superstar ball-striking, no more evident than the piercing 5-iron she hit to birdie the par-4 11th in the afternoon, were just too much. 'Unfortunately, the putter went cold today,' said Biermann, who will turn pro and enter LPGA Q-School next month, 'but overall, I felt like I gave it my all and I had a blast out here.' Moments later, Ganne landed her tee ball at the par-3 15th just off the left side of the green but only 18 feet from the hole, and after Biermann missed her birdie try, completed her two-putt for USGA immortality. 'To actually have that putt is surreal,' Ganne said. This time, though, she wasn't standing in her basement. When she dropped her putter and immediately put both hands over her mouth, Ganne was illuminated by the setting sun along the Oregon coastline. Golden hour, as they call it, had arrived, and soon, it wasn't hard to notice the shiny tears starting to roll down Ganne's face as she embraced her loved ones, including her parents, Hari and Sudha, and Rudolph. 'I hope this helps her take the lid off things and she just starts winning everything,' Rudolph said. That 7-year-old girl with the bright future? She's still the same girl, only now she's a U.S. Women's Amateur champion.
USA Today
5 hours ago
- USA Today
Justin Rose wins FedEx St. Jude Championship in playoff
Justin Rose wins FedEx St. Jude Championship in playoff Justin Rose birdied four of his last five holes and sank the winning putt on the third playoff hole to beat J.J. Spaun. PGA Tour
USA Today
5 hours ago
- USA Today
Destined for stardom, Megha Ganne a fitting U.S. Women's Amateur champion at Bandon Dunes
BANDON, Ore. — Megha Ganne has done hundreds of pretend victory speeches into Gatorade bottles over the years. The 21-year-old from New Jersey has done plenty of winning in her golf career. She has won over and over as a junior and amateur golfer. She has been destined for stardom since the first time her coach, Katie Rudolph, saw her swing a club on the range at Galloping Hills in New Jersey, where Ganne was in the crowd at a girls golf clinic. The world got its first introduction to Ganne on the big stage at Olympic Club in the 2021 U.S. Women's Open, where she played in the final group on Sunday and became a fan favorite with her bright smile and infectious aura. Ganne has always dreamed of succeeding on the big stages, and she normally does, but Sunday's stage was her grandest achievement yet. Ganne claimed the 2025 U.S. Women's Amateur title at Bandon Dunes, beating 22-year-old Brooke Biermann 4 and 3 in the 36-hole final. Bandon Dunes has become an icon of American golf, where the ocean speaks with crashing waves and the wind lashes those who walks the links-style layout on Oregon's coast. It's a course that demands excellence and brings out the absolute best a player has to offer. It's fitting Ganne won her first USGA title at the iconic venue, where her stardom was able to shine off the reflection of the ocean as her championship backdrop. "She's always been a superstar," Rudolph said. "The same Megha you see right now is the same Megha you've seen when she was 7, 8, 9, 10, all the way up. She's always believed in herself. There was never doubt." Throughout the week, Rudolph took photos of the ocean from above the cliffs and envisioned being able to take a picture with Megha holding the trophy. It's fitting, then, that Ganne ended the match on the par-3 15th hole, which sits perched above the screaming ocean waves beneath it. The rising senior at Stanford earned the 11 seed before match play, and one by one she took down some of the world's top-ranked amateurs, who proved no match for Ganne's march to victory. Ganne, ranked 11th in the world, beat No. 14 Anna Davis in the Round of 32, No. 20 Kary Hollenbaugh in the Round of 16 and No. 6 Eila Galitsky in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Ganne was 4 down with seven holes to play. When she stepped on the 18th tee, the match was tied. She won it in 19 holes. In Sunday's championship match, she took control from the start. A birdie on the first gave her a lead. The match was tied through 11 holes, but she won three consecutive on Nos. 12-14 to go 3 up, the lead she held at lunch. To begin the afternoon, Ganne again birdied the first. She and Biermann, the recent Michigan State grad who made match play for the first time this week at a USGA championship, each won three holes on the front nine while tying the other three, and Ganne's lead was 3 with nine to play. The turning point came on the par-4 11th, when Biermann's 3-wood drifted about 30 yards left of the green. It took her two shots to get on the putting surface, and she still wasn't inside Ganne's approach, which she said was her best shot of the afternoon, and Biermann conceded the hole. "Five iron, just a knockdown," Ganne said. "It was really windy. Think those back nine holes are more for a ball striker." Images of holding the Robert Cox Trophy danced in Ganne's head, but the job was not done. Biermann responded quickly, curling in a birdie putt on the par-5 13th after Ganne missed her look to get within 3. Then on the par-4 14th, Biermann had about 20 feet for birdie while Ganne was beyond the hole and had a downhill 25 footer. Ganne's attempt missed low and left a 4 footer. Biermann's birdie putt, which would've gotten her 2 down with 4 to play, never had a chance, stopping 6 feet short. Then on the par putt, she missed again. Outside of her appearance in the final group of the U.S. Women's Open, the spotlight had never been brighter for Ganne. She stepped up, buried the 4 footer, and she could finally put one hand on the trophy. "I love playing any sort of tournament, but I really do love being in the spotlight and I like performing under pressure," Ganne said. "I think it brings out the best in my game." On the closing hole, Ganne fired an iron to the back left portion of the green, settling about 20 feet from the flag. Biermann found the surface but gave herself a 40 footer she needed to can to have hopes of extending the match. When she didn't, Ganne finally had the moment she had dreamed of for years and years and years. It was time to close. Two putts later, and she was a U.S. Women's Amateur champion. "You really need to show up to win one of these trophies," Rudolph said. "And she showed up this week, from Monday until that very last putt." Ganne is no stranger to winning. Last year, she won a NCAA team title with Stanford. She was on the victorious U.S. Curtis Cup team in 2022 at Merion. But this one was different. "Winning with team is so special," Ganne said. "There's nothing like it, but this is something that has been an individual goal of mine ever since I was a little kid. I've hit so many putts in my basement pretending that it was to win a U.S. Open or a U.S. Amateur or a U.S. Junior. "To actually have that putt is surreal." Instead of a Gatorade bottle, a television microphone was waiting to interview the newest USGA champion on the 15th green in a quick ceremony. After it was over, Ganne set down her trophy and walked over to her parents, Sudha and Hari Ganne, and Rudolph, who were reminiscing about the little girl hitting golf balls on the range that was destined for stardom, now in the record books forever. "I don't know what to do," Ganne said to them while laughing. With star power and skill like hers, Megha Ganne better get used to those winning moments.
