
USGA says no driver worry despite Scheffler, McIlroy test failures
Scheffler and McIlroy's clubs were found non-compliant ahead of the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.
World number one Scheffler went on to win the title, but McIlroy finished tied for 47th and has been struggling to find a replacement.
McIlroy was upset that news of his driver test leaked to the public but other results, like Scheffler's, did not.
"I can tell you as a rules body, if we had concern about this 'incredible' advantage, we would change the degree in which we test," said US Golf Association boss Whan.
"If we saw a trend that was alarming in terms of either how many or how far they were moving beyond, we would change the way we approach it. But with what we're seeing... the juice wouldn't be worth the squeeze."
The testing measures the time a ball spends on a driver club face and that typically grows with wear and use.
"In terms of what happened at the PGA Championship, it made us more committed to not wanting to have this be the topic of the town," Whan said.
"When you talk about a rules violation or somebody who's playing with a hot driver, that gets so much more sensational than the reality."
There will be testing this week ahead of the 125th US Open at Oakmont, but it is the least of players' worries compared to the sloped, lightning-fast greens and thick rough on the iconic layout.
The rough is already to the point where they are worrying about lost balls.
"We have plenty of spotters," USGA chief championships officer John Bodenhamer said. "No guarantees we won't lose a golf ball or two, but we're going to do everything we possibly can not to do so."
This year's purse will be the same as last year's payout, the USGA announced, at $21.5 million overall with $4.3 million to the winner.
Crowds of about 40,000 people a day are expected during the tournament.
Whan also said he met on Tuesday with golf stakeholders such as manufacturers about USGA ball rule changes to pull back distance, saying: "I'm encouraged by the collaborative nature of the discussions."
Whan, a member of the official world golf rankings board, said he was unaware of Saudi-backed LIV Golf submitting a new plan to have its events earn ranking points.
"I know there has been dialogue with LIV about the concept of resubmitting," Whan said. "But I don't think that has happened."
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