Golf tournaments allowed to cap membership size below new guidelines

FILE–Bryson DeChambeau inspects his driver after his shot from the seventh tee in the course of the closing spherical of the FedEx St. Jude Invitational  on August 08, 2021 in Memphis, Tennessee. Sam Greenwood/Getty Photographs/AFP 

Prime-level golf tournaments will likely be given the choice of imposing a 46-inch restrict on membership size in an try to limit driving distances — a transfer that might curb gamers similar to big-hitting Bryson DeChambeau.

The 2020 US Open winner, recognized for his prodigious distances off the tee, has beforehand practiced with a 48-inch driver.

Phil Mickelson, who used a 47.9-inch driver when he received the US PGA Championship earlier this 12 months, branded the proposed rule change “pathetic” in a tweet in August.

However limiting membership size is a method the sport’s lawmakers imagine advances within the distance of ball-striking may be saved in test.

The R&A and the US Golf Affiliation (USGA) introduced proposals to restrict golf equipment to 46 inches in February.

They confirmed on Tuesday that this will likely be an non-compulsory selection as a “mannequin native rule” for tournaments at skilled or elite novice stage. It excludes putters.

The R&A, primarily based at St Andrews in Scotland, and USGA have introduced the brand new rule will likely be out there from January 1, 2022. The 2 our bodies govern the game of golf worldwide,

Martin Slumbers, chief govt of The R&A mentioned: “Now we have taken time to seek the advice of totally with the golf business, together with gamers, the primary skilled excursions and gear producers, and have thought-about their suggestions rigorously.

“We imagine that is the appropriate factor for the sport right now and it’ll present match organizers with the flexibleness to decide on for themselves throughout the framework of the principles.”

USGA chief govt Mike Whan mentioned: “Admittedly, this isn’t the ‘reply’ to the general distance debate/situation however reasonably a easy choice for aggressive occasions.

“It’s essential to notice that it isn’t a ‘rule of golf,’ and as such, it isn’t mandated for the typical, leisure golfer. Moderately, that is an out there device for these operating aggressive occasions.”

Additional proposals referring to the testing of golf balls and the “spring-like impact” on membership faces stay into consideration.

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