Augusta National chairman: ‘Failure is not an option’ with golf ball rollback

Augusta National Golf Club is not reticent to making changes to adapt to the current times, and neither should the sport’s governing bodies be when it comes to regulation of the golf ball.

That was the sentiment of ANGC chairman Fred S. Ridley in his annual pre-Masters press conference on Wednesday. At the end of his wide-ranging opening remarks, Ridley said “it’s time to really address” the prodigious distances elite players are currently able to hit the ball.

The United States Golf Association proposed last month that a new testing rule that could roll back distances not go into effect until 2030. The Overall Distance Standard (ODS) test would increase the test speed from 120 mph to 125, and could initially reduce driving distance by 15 yards.

In conjunction with the R&A, the governing bodies are seeking another round of feedback “from a wide range of stakeholders” before finalizing the implementation date.

While Augusta National has continued to evolve and strategically add distance where it can to maintain the original design intent of the course and maintain its strategic challenges, Ridley noted that most courses do not have that option.

“Our position is grounded on much more than protecting the Augusta National golf course,” he said. “Unfortunately, many courses, including some iconic venues, do not have that option.

“Until recent years golf has been a game of imagination, creativity and variety. The game has become much more one-dimensional. As players drive the ball prodigious distances and routinely hit short irons into par-4s and even some par-5s, this issue goes beyond competitive impacts. Increased course lengths results in more time, more cost and more environmental concerns.”

Ridley added that data shows that the impact to recreational golfers will be “immaterial” and that most will be “hard-pressed to notice the effects of this change.” His concern is for the state of the professional game and ensuring the world’s elite players are defined by their ability to shape shots, evaluate risk-reward scenarios and execute shots under pressure.

“Regulation of the golf ball is not an attempt to turn back time or stifle progress. It is an effort to preserve the essence of what makes golf the great game that it is,” Ridley said.

While Augusta National has made bold efforts to keep up with the state of the game, including strategic land purchases and expansions, Ridley noted that the course isn’t immune to being overpowered by the biggest hitters in the game.

He shared a conversation with 19-year-old Jackson Herrington, a 6-foot sophomore at the University of Tennessee with the nickname “Fridge.” Herrington told Ridley that he was able to drive his ball over the bunker on Nos. 1 and 5 during a practice round, which require about 325-yard carries. And one was into the wind.

“I’ve said that we can make changes, but there’s not much we can do to make changes, No. 1, unless we tear down the Eisenhower Cabin, and we’re not going to do that,” Ridley said, referencing the famous cabin built in 1953 for President Dwight D. Eisenhower that sits near the 10th tee box behind the opening tee shot.

“We’ll make changes when we can, but I think it’s time to really address this issue. It’s been talked about for a long time.”

The original plan called for only the elite players being affected by the rollback beginning in 2028 before being expanded to all golfers in 2030. However, under the terms announced last month, balls conforming under the current standard by Oct. 6, 2027 would remain on the conforming list through the end of 2029. And balls could be submitted for conformance under the new standard beginning Oct. 7 of this year.

The USGA said feedback has included a concern that a staggered rollback would present challenges that a single date would help eliminate.

“My feeling on this subject is failure’s not an option. I think we need to continue to work together to come to some agreement,” Ridley said. “Tough issues like this require compromise, and I think there has been some compromise to date.

“It’s not the good old days, that’s not what we’re trying to do. What we’re trying to do is to protect the integrity of what makes golf so great. And that’s that it is more than about just hitting prodigious drives.”

–Derek Harper, Field Level Media