Donald Trump has waded into golf’s distance row by siding with the faction fighting against ‘ridiculous’ moves to change the ball.
The sport’s two governing bodies announced on Wednesday that their proposed ‘rollback’ of the ball has been delayed from 2028 to 2030 after facing heated opposition from manufacturers and players.
Assuming the 2030 plan eventually materializes, driving distances could be reduced by as much as 20 yards, with balls required to meet new testing standards before being allowed in elite tournaments.
The same alterations will be made in the amateur game.
The imperative for such a change at the professional level appears obvious at a time when many of golf’s classic courses are being rendered obsolete by the bigger hitters.
Augusta National is among the clubs to have expressed severe concern for modern trends – driving distances on the PGA Tour have increased by 50 yards in 30 years – and their stance aligns with the likes of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
Donald Trump – himself an avid golfer – has weighed in on plans to ‘roll back’ the ball
President Trump called the plans ‘ridiculous’ and says ‘nobody wants’ it to happen
Under the plans, driving distances of the top pros could be reduced by as much as 20 yards
However, the vast majority of tour professionals, who are under pressure from the manufacturers who sponsor them, don’t want to see a change to the ball. That cohort includes Bryson DeChambeau, Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, among others.
Now, US President Trump has thrown his weight behind their argument. In a bizarre post on Truth Social, he wrote: ‘Congratulations to (PGA Tour) commissioner Brian Rolapp, the PGA Tour, and the governing bodies, and also, the Great US. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, for a BIG VICTORY where the USGA wanted to roll back the distance of a Golf Ball, for whatever reason, and now they are precluded from doing so, at least for a long number of years.
‘It was a ridiculous idea, that nobody wanted, especially PGA Tour Players, and people that don’t want to go to a Course to be told that their drives will be going 20 yards shorter.
‘What the USGA should do is agree that, far into the future, they will not allow the current ball to go further. In other words, they will keep the ball the same! The game of Golf is ‘hot as a pistol.’
‘The last thing we should do is tell people that, for no reason whatsoever, you will not be able to hit a ball as far as you used to. Has anyone ever heard of anything so ridiculous?’
