Dusek: Here are 5 important takeaways from the USGA, R&A golf ball rollback announcement

Under the new rules, everyone is going to transition into the balls tested in a new, distance-reducing way.

The United States Golf Association and R&A jointly announced that the rules governing how golf balls are tested will change starting on Jan. 1, 2028. It’s how the governing bodies intend to stop the trends of golfers hitting the ball farther and golf courses getting longer.

The announcement came after years of debate, study and communications between the USGA and R&A with stakeholders like golf equipment manufacturers, the PGA Tour, the PGA of America and other prominent groups in the golf world.

Initially, the USGA and R&A proposed the creation of a Model Local Rule that would have resulted in only elite men being required to use distance-reducing balls. But under the new rules, everyone is going to transition into the balls tested in a new, distance-reducing way.

Here are my takeaways from the USGA and R&A’s decision:

USGA, R&A announce golf ball rollback for everyone, not just elite golfers

Faster-swinging players will be affected the most and recreational golfers will be affected the least with the change.

In an announcement nearly four years in the making, the United States Golf Association and the R&A, golf’s governing bodies, announced Wednesday that they are changing how golf balls will be tested for conformity to reduce the effects of distance in the sport. 

Starting in 2028, for a golf ball to be deemed conforming and be legal for play, it will be tested using a robot that swings a titanium club at 125 mph and hits the ball on an 11-degree launch angle with 2,200 rpm of spin. The shot can not exceed the Overall Distance Standard (ODS) of 317 yards of combined carry distance and roll (with a 3-yard tolerance).

Currently, balls are at 120 mph with a launch angle of 10 degrees and 2,520 rpm of backspin, so the change increases the robot’s clubhead by 5 mph, increases the launch angle by 1 degree and decreases the spin rate by about 300 rpm.

Current test conditions New test conditions Change
120 mph clubhead speed 125 mph clubhead speed 5 mph clubhead speed
10-degree launch angle 11-degree launch angle 1-degree launch angle
2,520 rpm of spin 2,200 rpm of spin 320 rpm of spin

Nearly every golf ball being sold today – including the Titleist Pro V1, Callaway Chrome Soft, TaylorMade TP5, Bridgestone Tour B and Srixon Z-Star – would go too far and fail the new test because manufacturers design their balls to go right to the current distance limits. Increasing the test speed by 5 mph and hitting shots at low spin rates and higher launch angles would make all of today’s balls go too far and become non-conforming.  

Balls that had previously been legal but failed the new test will be removed from the Conforming Ball list, making them illegal for official play starting Jan. 1, 2028.

USGA Golf Robot
The USGA’s golf robot swings a test club at exactly the speed technicians want. (USGA)

According to Thomas Pagel, the USGA’s chief governance officer, using golf balls that pass the new test will result in a loss of distance, with the fastest-swinging players being affected the most and recreational golfers being affected the least.

“The longest players, which means those generating ball speeds of 183 mph or higher, are going to lose 13 to 15 yards [with their driver],” Pagel said. “The average PGA Tour player and elite male, like a college player, would lose closer to 9 or 11 yards. LPGA players, given their clubhead speed, we’re looking at 5 to 7 yards. And recreational golfers, we’re talking about 5 yards or less.” 

Only 10 players ended last season’s PGA Tour with a measured ball speed average of over 183 mph. ShotLink reports the PGA Tour’s average ball speed for the season was 172.85 mph.

According to John Spitzer, the USGA’s director of equipment standards, the average male club player who swings his driver at 90 mph will lose 4 to 5 yards off the tee but will likely not lose any yardage when hitting hybrids, irons or wedges.

“The typical male amateur and female amateur in the recreational game hit the ball with a lot more spin than is optimal off the driver,” Spitzer said.

Balls that are submitted for testing by October 2027 will be tested under the current standard, while any balls submitted for testing after that will be tested at the new standard and added (assuming they pass the test) to the Conforming Ball list on Jan. 1, 2028.

“Golfers in the recreational game don’t have to worry about this until 2030,” Pagel said. “We will leave the last list for 2027 published and recreational golfers can continue to use those balls. So, if they have any balls left in their golf bag or at home and they want to use those balls and post their scores, they will be playing under the Rules of Golf and there won’t be any issues there.”

The USGA and R&A plan to work out the details that will allow recreational golfers to play pre-2028 balls but have professionals and elite amateurs use reduced-distance balls at a later date, likely with Clarification.

Nine months ago, the USGA and the R&A thought they had a solution to the distance problem and proposed a new Model Local Rule. It would allow tournament organizers and tours to require players to use golf balls tested under conditions very similar to those announced now. The goal was to enable tournaments for elite golfers to mandate the use of distance-reducing golf balls while not changing equipment rules that govern recreational players.

Golf balls
A look at several golf balls that have been cut in half to show their insides. (Photo: David Dusek/Golfweek)

This announcement, which will affect all golfers and not just the fastest-swinging elite players, resulted from feedback given to the USGA and the R&A during a Notice and Comment Period that began on March 14 and ended on August 13.

“The feedback we got during the Notice and Comment period was overwhelming, and it was extremely consistent across all stakeholders,” said Pagel. “Whether it was the tours, the tour membership, manufacturers, the PGA of America or, frankly, just recreational golfers themselves, we heard loud and clear the desire for unity. A unified game, played under a unified set of rules and standards is important.” 

Several of the biggest names in golf have said for years that they think modern golf balls fly too far and too straight, including Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. However, the process that led to this change took time to happen.

On Feb. 4, 2020, the USGA and R&A released their Distance Insights Report, a 102-page document with data and information from 56 projects. As part of that report, the determination that distance played an outsized role in the sport was formally made. 

After the COVID-19 pandemic put many tests and programs on hold, a Model Local Rule was created that allowed tournament officials to limit driver length to 46 inches to discourage elite golfers from gaining more speed and distance using extra-long equipment. Then, in March of 2022, the USGA and R&A sent a three-page Areas of Interest letter to manufacturers informing companies that the governing bodies were exploring changes to how balls are tested. 

The Model Local Rule proposed in March would have increased the speed to 125-127 mph in a range of launch angles between 7.5 and 15 degrees with backspin rates from 2,200 rpm to 3,000 rpm.

However, to many golfers, an essential feature of golf is everyone plays by the same rules.

Justin Thomas, a two-time major winner, said, “It’s so bad for the game of golf.” He added, “For an everyday amateur golfer, it’s very unique that we are able to play the exact same equipment. Yeah, I understand that I may have a different grind on a wedge, whatever you want to call it, but you can go to the pro shop and buy the same golf ball that I play, or Scottie Scheffler plays.”

The USGA and R&A have said for several years that they had three options regarding distance. The governing bodies could do nothing, which they considered a non-option. They could target fast-swinging golfers with a Model Local Rule, but that was unpopular. The third option has been chosen: change the rules for everyone while leaving some room for further reductions in the future.

“This is about the long-term management of distance, and this test has been updated in the past,” Pagel said. “We fully anticipate that golfers at the elite level will be back to the distance of today at some point in the future. Is that 15 years, 20 years … that’s to be determined. But we would expect to be back here and expect to make future changes.”

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PGA of America memo is another blow to USGA, R&A’s golf ball distance plans

One of the biggest sports organizations in the world has come out against the idea.

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Four months ago, Fred Ridley, the chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, strongly hinted that he and the club supported the USGA and R&A’s proposed Model Local Rule (MLR) that would mandate golfers in elite events use distance-reducing golf balls. Tiger Woods came out in support of the idea, and so did Rory McIlroy, giving the two governing bodies of golf some momentum in their battle against distance.

But as the comment period has continued, that momentum has slowed, and Monday, one of the biggest sports organizations in the world came out against the idea.

Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard obtained a memo and posted it on Twitter that was written by the CEO of the PGA of America and sent to the USGA and R&A. In the memo, Waugh, who was writing as the head representative for the PGAs of America, Australia, Great Britain and several other countries, said that the groups, comprised of more than teaching professionals, course operators and others in the golf industry would not support the idea of the Model Local Rule.

“We fear that the proposed changes could seriously interrupt the current momentum in the game and be fundamentally damaging and detrimental in the long run,” Waugh wrote. “We are also very aware that there are sets of data that conflict with the R&A and USA materials. This is confusing and, in our view, needs to be considered fully, reviewed and clarified prior to any final decision being made.”

He went on to state: “For the whole industry to buy into any changes, we feel it is very important that everyone agrees with one set of data to be used to establish the basis of dramatic change. Also, to be abundantly clear as regards to the current proposal, after much thought and conversation, we arrived at full agreement as a group that we firmly oppose bifurcation for the following reasons.”

Golfweek contacted representatives of the USGA and asked for comment, then received the following statement:

We remain in a Notice & Comment period, accepting feedback from voices from across the game. The PGA is an important stakeholder and we appreciate the feedback they have contributed to this conversation.

The comment period on the proposed Model Local Rule is scheduled to conclude on next Monday, August 14.

Less than two weeks ago, a similar memo was written by Jay Monahan and sent PGA Tour players, explaining that the PGA Tour had informed the USGA and R&A that it was not in favor of the Model Local Rule in its current form.

The PGA Tour and the Alliance of PGAs cannot stop the USGA and the R&A from creating the Model Local Rule, but if they choose not to adopt it and implement it in the events they operate, it would be a massive blow to the overall acceptance of the MLR.

The USGA operates the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and several other championships, while the R&A runs the British Open, Women’s British Open and numerous tournaments as well. Mike Whan, the CEO of the USGA, and Martin Slumbers, his counterpart at the R&A, have stated that if the MLR is created, they plan to adopt it starting in 2026 at their elite men’s events.

However, the PGA of America runs the PGA Championship. If Seth Waugh and the PGA of America decided not to adopt the MLR, it is possible that the Masters, U.S. Open and British Opens would require golfers to use a different ball than they would use at the PGA Championship, the Players Championship and week-to-week PGA Tour events.

While the USGA and R&A’s proposed MLR is not intended to be adopted at the club level or at most amateur competitions, Waugh wrote that the proposal would create confusion, more work for PGA of America members and ultimately lead to bifurcation (the use to different rules governing professionals and recreational golfers). The USGA and R&A have adamantly stated that there are already several Model Local Rules, and tournaments are free to adopt them or not adopt them as they see fit. In the eyes of the USGA and the R&A, the creation of a Model Local Rule that requires elite golfers to use reduce-distance balls would not create a separate set of rules, but many people and organizations do not agree.

“Lastly and importantly, the suggestion that elite women should play the ‘recreational ball’ could be viewed very negatively at a time when we are all trying to promote and champion women’s golf and participation,” Waugh wrote.

In an interview with Golfweek, Mike Whan said that he does not feel there is a distance problem in women’s golf and hinted that the USGA would likely not adopt the MLR at the Women’s U.S. Open.

After the conclusion of the Notice & Comment period, the USGA and R&A are expected to study the comments and announce a decision on the Model Local Rule, possibly with six months.

Dusek: Jay Monahan’s memo starts the bargaining with the USGA and R&A

If support from McIlroy, Woods and more gave cause for optimism, Monahan’s memo was a reminder that nothing is settled.

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The memo that Jay Monahan sent to members of the PGA Tour on Wednesday evening contained 13 paragraphs, but one bullet point related to distance surely caught the attention of Mike Whan, the CEO of the United States Golf Association.

Whan and his team, along with with the R&A and its CEO, Martin Slumbers, are working to create support and momentum for the proposed Model Local Rule that would require elite players to use reduce-distance golf balls. Throughout the current “Notice and Comment” period, many players, including Justin Thomas, have come out against the idea, but other influential players like Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods have come out in favor of it. Fred Ridley, chairman of the Augusta National Golf Club, also showed support for the idea of elite players using reduced-distance balls during his press conference before the start of this year’s Masters.

If support from McIlroy, Woods and Ridley gave Whan and Slumbers cause for optimism, Monahan’s memo was a reminder that nothing is settled.

Jay Monahan
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan at the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua. (Photo: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

“As you know, we have spent the last two years undertaking a comprehensive analysis of distance on the PGA Tour and its impact. Although there has been some level of support for limiting future increases, there is widespread and significant belief the proposed Modified Local Rule is not warranted and is not in the best interest of the game. Following a discussion on the topic at a recent PAC meeting, we have notified the USGA and The R&A that while the PGA Tour is committed to collaborating with them – and all industry partners – to arrive at a solution that will best serve our players, our fans and the game at all levels, we are not able to support the MLR as proposed. As the formal feedback period to the USGA and the R&A comes to an end and this process evolves, I will be in touch with updates.”

Golfweek contacted the USGA for comment and was sent this statement: “We remain in a Notice & Comment period, accepting feedback from voices from across the game. The PGA Tour is an important stakeholder and we appreciate the feedback they have contributed to this conversation.”

Getting the PGA Tour (and, by extension, the Korn Ferry Tour and DP World Tour) on board with the MLR is critical for the USGA and the R&A. It would represent the most significant seal of approval possible and it has felt like a foregone conclusion to many people in the golf industry.

In the four months since the USGA and R&A jointly announced the proposed MLR, numerous executives and industry insiders who spoke with Golfweek shrugged their collective shoulders and begrudgingly seemed to have accepted that if the MLR were passed, the PGA Tour would adopt it.

Those feelings still exist, and industry veterans who spoke with Golfweek on Thursday morning see Monahan’s comments as the start of a bargaining process.

Monahan, who is likely on shaky ground with many PGA Tour members after surprising the golf world with the proposal of a merger with LIV Golf, is not in a position to go against a majority of players and tell them the PGA Tour will make them use a reduced-distance ball in a few years. Monahan’s memo to golf’s governing bodies is really saying that while they may feel that distance is becoming too big a part of the game and threatening the competitive value of historically significant courses, the PGA Tour has other things to consider. 

The inclusion of, ” … a solution that will best serve our players, our fans and the game at all levels,” was also not an accident. We know players don’t want to lose distance. Fans who buy tickets and companies that purchase luxury boxes to entertain clients at PGA Tour events don’t want to see golfers hit the ball less far. Television executives who study TV ratings don’t see distance as a problem. For Monahan, golf is as much about entertainment as it is competition, and part of his job is to protect the entertainment value of his players and tournaments.

“I think what we came down to was, we didn’t feel like this proposal was warranted, but we’re not against doing something,” said PGA Tour executive vice president and chief player officer, Jason Gore in an interview with Michael Breed on Sirius XM Radio Thursday morning. “We agree with Mike Whan in that doing nothing is not an option. We just don’t feel that this is the best path forward. The bifurcation was really hard for us to swallow.”

While the USGA and the R&A insist that the creation and adoption of the Model Local Rules would not amount to bifurcation, a different set of rules to govern elite golfers, nearly everyone else in the golf industry does, and the PGA Tour and equipment makers see that as a problem. To them, one of golf’s greatest appeals is that pros like Rory McIlroy and the guys in your Thursday night league play the same equipment and are governed by the same rules. They argue that the adoption of a Model Local Rule pertaining to golf balls would change that.

Chief Executive of the R&A Martin Slumbers during a press conference ahead of The Open at the Royal Liverpool, on July 19, 2023. (Photo by Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)

“As the formal feedback period to the USGA and the R&A comes to an end and this process evolves, I will be in touch with updates,” Monahan concluded in his paragraph on distance.

That’s the key sentence, a signal to Liberty Corners, New Jersey (home of the USGA) and St. Andrews, Scotland (home of the R&A), that the PGA Tour wants to negotiate. Monahan did not write that the PGA Tour would never adopt a distance-reducing MLR. He noted that it would not support the MLR as it is proposed now.

If the USGA and R&A modify the MLR, so balls for elite players get tested at lower swing speeds or at higher spin rates, so the distance reduction is not as drastic, Monahan could go back to his players and sell himself as someone who got a concession from USGA and R&A.

But the interesting thing that happens when you combine Monahan’s memo and Gore’s comments together is it might take a rule change governing golf balls, and not the creation of a Model Local Rule, to get the PGA Tour’s signoff on the idea of reducing distance. While the USGA and R&A have stated that they don’t want to change anything for recreational golfers, the PGA Tour may be signaling that a rule change governing all golfers is more appealing than a Model Local Rule that only applies to elite golfers.

In the end, the only thing that Jay Monahan’s memo clarifies with regard to distance is that a lot more talk and negotiations are needed.

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USGA cashes in on COVID-19 insurance claim, Mike Davis’s exit package, and more from the organization’s 990 filing

“Everyone used to think we were crazy. Now everybody’s patting themselves on the back.”

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LOS ANGELES – In 2020, COVID-19 tried its hardest but it could only postpone the U.S. Open, not cancel it. The 120th U.S. Open, which was won by Bryson DeChambeau at Winged Foot in New York, was held in September rather than June. Things were somewhat better a year later when the national championship was contested at Torrey Pines in June. Still, the USGA took a bath on its big moneymaker – due to limited or no tickets, merchandise and corporate suite sales.

Or did it?

The USGA is a non-profit organization whose mission is to champion and advance the game of golf. As previously reported by Golfweek in 2020, the U.S. Open generates $165 million in revenue annually, or about 75 percent of the USGA’s total revenue. That money funds among other things, the 13 other national championships the USGA conducts annually. But a portion of the losses associated with the COVID Opens was offset by the USGA’s insurance against such an event. According to its 2021 Internal Revenue Service Form 990, the USGA filed an insurance claim for business interruption and received $29.5 million in 2020 which helped it continue core services and the cost of conducting a limited number of championships, in spite of a significant loss of fan-based revenue.

In 2021, the alteration of the U.S. Open fan/hospitality experience due to California COVID law restrictions led to the USGA being paid $25.5 million based on the validity of the claim and the estimated claim total value by Sentry, which also is one of the USGA’s corporate sponsors.

“We were way down,” said John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s senior managing director of championships, of U.S. Open revenue during COVID years. “But the one thing we had was business interruption insurance. Several years ago, our organization through great leadership decided to purchase that. At the time, there was a lot of skepticism why we needed it. Everyone used to think we were crazy. Now everybody’s patting themselves on the back.”

But it does beg the question: Why does a non-profit 501-C3 need to file a claim with about $740 million in net assets, according to its 2022 filing?

Susan Pikitch, the USGA’s chief financial officer, who earned approximately $725,000 in 2020, was unavailable to speak to Golfweek last week but responded to multiple email questions.

“The USGA currently has approximately $400 million in reserves that our Finance Committee recommends as a fiscally responsible best practice. That $400M represents less than two years of operating funds,” she wrote. “It is a prudent business practice for organizations to have at least three years of operating expenses as contingency reserves to continue critical services and mitigate the overall risk for catastrophic or long-term effects to affect the business operations. As we learned during the pandemic, having such funds on hand is critical to ensure continuity.”

“The USGA has had event cancellation/curtailment insurance for at least 10 years. We continue to hold that insurance as a financial best practice, but it no longer covers pandemics,” she added.

“Our business was significantly impacted in 2020 at the start of the pandemic, especially when we postponed the U.S. Open and conducted it without normal fan and hospitality functions that drive significant annual revenue for our programs,” she wrote. “In spite of returning all 14 championships in 2021 and continuing our work in golf course sustainability, growing the game, governance, GHIN/handicapping and significant support to our Allied Golf Association network, the financial outcome of our two key revenue-generators – The U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open – were heavily influenced by California-based COVID restrictions. This reduced the amount of corporate hospitality, ticket and other revenue we normally receive. Based on projections of revenue loss, our insurance policies enabled us to recoup a portion of that revenue to continue our core services.”

When the question about the reserves was proposed to Bodenhamer on Wednesday, he said, “You think about the U.S. Open, it means more than the trophy we present and the gold medal. This championship means a lot for the game. When you think about everything we’ll do for amateur golf, the Adaptive Open, to educate on the Rules of Golf, there’s not a golf course in this country that hasn’t benefited from our turf-grass research fund, which we’ll spend I think $3 million this year. Nobody knows about this stuff but those are things that don’t make money. It’s the power of the U.S. Open.”

“The USGA’s Finance Committee recommended business disruption insurance several years ago for exactly these reasons, to continue core functions when key revenue sources – with the U.S. Open being the primary source – are disrupted,” Pikitch added. “We felt fortunate, like many other sports organizations, to have this insurance in place so we weren’t faced with layoffs and other hard decisions.”

The USGA declined to disclose its insurance premiums, but on page 71 of its 2022 public filing, it cites a payment of $135,122 to Sentry Insurance.

Mike Davis addresses the media in a press conference during the practice rounds on Monday of the 2016 U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont CC. (Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports)

Here are some other relevant and interesting figures that are detailed in the USGA’s full-year 2021 Form 990, which is the most recent year available to the public:

  • Longtime chief executive officer Mike Davis earned $4.4 million ($895,252 in base compensation, $2,122,548 in bonus and incentive compensation and $1,440,292 in other reportable compensation) plus $89,000 in retirement and other deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits in his final year with the association. As Pikitch noted, “Davis completed 31 years of service when he departed the association on June 30, 2021, and served in an advisory capacity through the remainder of 2021 as part of the leadership transition process. His reportable 2021 compensation includes base salary, bonus, ancillary benefits and an initial distribution from the USGA’s retirement plan.”
  • Quoting from the 990 Form includes a few more details: “Michael Davis served as CEO of the USGA through June 30, 2021. Also served in an advisory capacity to the USGA and the new CEO Mike Whan from July 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021. Davis received two payments in early 2022 which have been reflected and reported in his 2021 compensation. Davis received a distribution from the USGA 457F Plan in January 2022 of approximately $1.2 million. This payment is reported on schedule J Part II columns B (II) and F. In addition, Mr. Davis received a discretionary bonus of approximately $1.7 million in January 2022 related to his position and length of service with the USGA. This payment was reviewed and approved by the compensations committee of the This payment is included in schedule J Part II B (II).”
  • Mike Whan, who replaced Davis, was paid $884,000 for less than six months of work plus $55,000 in other payments.
  • Revenue totaled $304 million, with 37 percent from broadcast and media rights, $30 percent from championships, and 15 percent from corporate partnerships.
  • The USGA netted $45 million on sales of securities in 2021.
  • The USGA listed $36 million in gifts and contributions for 2021, and a five-year total of $122 million.
  • Membership dues totaled $13.2 million in 2021. “As a non-profit organization,” Pikitch noted, “we are thankful for the private donors who support our mission and work for the game…Most donations are pledges for USGA core programs that do not generate revenue.”
  • The FOX TV termination fee was $323.44 million. “When the USGA renegotiated its domestic broadcast rights in 2020, switching from Fox Sports to NBC Sports, we received a lump-sum payment related to the termination of the Fox contract,” Pikitch explained. “While paid upfront, this payment has been set aside in a board-designated reserve set up by the Finance/Audit Committees to be used annually through 2026 (covering the full term of the original contract) and solely for operational expenses that were otherwise affected by the switch…They annually transfer each year’s allocation back into the operations budget, so we can continue core services at the same budgeted amount”.
  • The USGA also confirmed that its TV rights fee was reduced by moving the championship to September in 2020 when it had to compete against football, but didn’t disclose how much.

The USGA lists 95 different Allied Golf Associations and schools with turfgrass research programs that it gives grants to further its mission to champion and advance the game. Many of these missions support junior programs and golfers with disabilities.

This year, the USGA announced an initiative that over the next 15 years it will invest $30 million to help courses reduce their water usage by up to 45 percent.

“It would be a mistake to rest on our laurels,” USGA’s Mike Whan wrote in his CEO message posted online. “In fact, when golf is this strong we have a heightened responsibility to nurture its growth, and make sure we leave this game even better for the generations that will follow.”

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2023 U.S. Open: Ads outnumber golf shots shown on large swaths of USA Network Round 1 coverage from Los Angeles Country Club

The USGA promised to reduce commercial breaks for this week’s U.S. Open at LACC. How is that going for Round 1?

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USGA CEO Mike Whan spoke Wednesday at the U.S. Open about how his organization worked with NBC to reduce the number of ads that will be shown in this year’s coverage, with plans to cut commercial breaks by 30 percent this week.

So … how is that going midway through Round 1 of the Open?

Coverage from Los Angeles Country Club began Thursday on Peacock, then switched to USA Network – which is owned by NBCUniversal Television and Streaming – for most of the afternoon. Listening in from the home office, it was clear there were a lot of commercials. So out came the stop watch.

In the first 12 minutes and 45 seconds of coverage starting at 2 p.m. ET, USA Network showed 15 commercials. That was compared to just 11 golf shots. The network also showed a one-minute, in-broadcast promotion for the USGA, featuring Whan. In all, that was six minutes of commercials (both full-screen and split-screen with the playing-through feature), one minute of promotion and 5 minutes and 45 seconds of actual full-screen golf coverage.

Wanting to make sure that wasn’t an anomaly, the same procedure was repeated starting at 3 p.m., using an even longer window. In the first 24 minutes of coverage starting at 3 p.m., coverage included 20 commercials (in both full-screen and split-screen formats) and 23 full-screen golf shots. That equated to 9 minutes of ads in either format and 15 minutes of full golf coverage.

The ads ran the spectrum, from golf equipment makers to MTV.

Combining those opening coverage windows for the prime hours of 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., that meant there were a total of 34 golf shots shown against 35 commercials.

The longest continuous uninterrupted window showed 15 shots in a row (starting about 3:13 p.m.). Those 15 shots were surrounded by 13 ads in either format divided on either side of the full-screen golf coverage.

The shortest full-screen golf window was just five uninterrupted golf shots, starting at 2:03 p.m. Those five shots were preceded by seven ads and were followed by the 1-minute USGA promotion. Then came six more full-screen golf shots, then eight more ads.

No Black players? U.S. Open field reflects golf’s missed opportunity with Tiger Woods

More than 26 years later, the 156-player field at the U.S. Open has a clear void: no known Black players.

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LOS ANGELES − Tiger Woods, recovering from ankle surgery, won’t be at the U.S. Open that starts Thursday. Neither will the impact on golf many thought he’d have.

In 1997, Woods stoked imaginations when he became the first Black player to win the Masters. At just 21, he was the superstar some hoped (and others predicted) would revolutionize the sport by attracting more Black people to the golf course and inspiring the development of top Black pros.

Now look.

More than 26 years later, the 156-player field at the U.S. Open to be played at The Los Angeles Country Club has a clear void: no known Black players.

The caveat: The United States Golf Association (USGA), which conducts the U.S. Open, says it does not ask players about their race or ethnicity, so it’s impossible to confirm there are no Black players.

Live Leaderboard: U.S. Open Tournament Scores, Schedules, Pairings and More

But Mike Whan, CEO of the USGA, acknowledges the governing body of U.S. golf missed an opportunity with Woods’ dramatic rise as golf’s leading man.

“I feel like we all watched the Tiger Woods parade go by and then when the parade left, it actually left,” Whan said. “Like it was a great five years.”

Fred Perpall, who in February was elected as the USGA’s first Black president, said, “I think what happens in elite golf is a reflection of the choices we’ve made in the past.”

How did golf fail after rise of Tiger Woods?

For the past decade, Kenneth Bentley has served on the board of Tiger Woods’ foundation. He is keenly aware of the opportunity golf had when Woods burst onto the pro scene.

“When Tiger won the Masters in ’97, there was no infrastructure to say, ‘OK, we want to integrate golf,’ ” said Bentley, who is Black and a member of the Farmers Insurance Exchange Board of Governors. “And I’m not sure in ’97 if the people that ran golf were really ready for there to be an influx of African American golfers.”

In 2010, Bentley set out to create infrastructure when he founded the Advocates Professional Golf Association (APGA) to develop professional minority golfers.

It involves doing what the golf world failed to do in a sustained, meaningful way. Which is to provide access to top-flight equipment, instruction and opportunities.

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This year, for example, the APGA will host 18 tournaments with a combined prize money for $1 million.

“I’ve been at this a while and I get frustrated,” he said. “I get frustrated because I’d like to see programs happen faster but I get energized when I see how optimistic the players are. …

“Certainly there are people out there trying to change the dynamics of golf. But I think it’s just moving slower than what we all felt like.”

How to speed up development of minority golfers

In February, the USGA launched a national development program, and Whan said he’s aiming for grant money “in the neighborhood” of $40 million.

Bentley said he wonders how much of that money will be used to develop minority golfers.

“I’ve said this for a lot of years, but now I’m sitting in a seat where we can do something about it,” Whan said. “We are going to be all in on the U.S. National Development Team, and we’re going to make sure that talented kids, no matter what they look like or where they come from or how wealthy their parents are in the States, have a chance to go − every other country in the world has a country program to foster and grow their youth pipeline.”

So Bentley continues to wonder while providing some math that might be helpful for the USGA. He said he spends about $30,000 a year on each of the 10 players in his developmental program.

“To make a true difference, we’re going to need two or three times that,” he said.

What happens next?

Electing a Black USGA president is no guarantee of creating enough top Black golfers to avoid wondering if there are any at the U.S. Open.

Perpall, serving a three-year term, shared some thoughts on the matter.

“I would love this to be like a shortcut, like that we could just press the magic wand,” he said. “I think what we’re doing with Team USA (through the development program) and investing in more inclusion and more opportunity and more accessibility hopefully changes this trajectory.”

Marcus Byrd celebrates after winning the APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Invitational at Torrey Pines Golf Course on Jan. 29, 2023 in La Jolla, California.
It can be done, says Bentley, who pointed to Marcus Byrd, who has won five times as APGA’s top player and this year played in three PGA Tour events.

“Here’s a guy that had no money,” Bentley said. “Grew up in the worst neighborhood in Washington D.C. and now he’s got sponsors, he’s got an opportunity, that‘s kind of what the APGA is about.”

Could it be what the USGA is about?

“Now that I’ve been able to make the connections and played in a lot of these events, I’ve started to figure out the right people to be around, the right people to talk to,” Byrd said, adding of his dream of playing on the PGA Tour, “It’s definitely not a matter of if, it’s just a matter of when.”

Should the potential rollback of the golf ball be delayed given the upheaval in pro golf? Mike Whan says no: ‘How slow do we have to go?’

“I think if people feel rushed by this, I worry for them because this is a pretty slow process.”

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LOS ANGELES – Jon Rahm sees the writing on the wall.

“The USGA and the R&A want to make a change to the ball to somehow protect the game, which is fine. If they think that’s the best decision, so be it,” he said.

But Rahm also has his qualms and pointed to LA Country Club, site of this week’s 123rd U.S. Open, to highlight his concerns.

“It’s funny to me because how many of the tee boxes on this golf course will become obsolete if they change the golf ball? At least half would be unusable for the next I don’t know how many years,” he said. “They keep trying to protect from distance by adding distance to a golf course in a way where only long hitters are going to have a better chance to win. I don’t know how else to really explain it. If they want to roll it back, then so be it.”

The USGA and R&A in March proposed a Model Local Rule that would give competition organizers the option to require the use of golf balls that are tested under modified launch conditions to address the impacts of hitting distance in golf. The rule, which wouldn’t go into effect until 2026, is intended for use only in elite competitions and, if adopted, will have no impact on recreational golf. Manufacturers and golf stakeholders can provide feedback until Aug. 14. But given the upheaval in the world of professional golf, should the process be delayed as was previously done during the height of COVID-19? USGA CEO Mike Whan said the process won’t be deterred by the PGA Tour’s recent agreement to form a commercial entity with the PIF.

“We started this in 2018,” Whan said. “It’s 2023 and we’re talking about implementing something not earlier than 2026. I was talking to a friend the other day who’s like, ‘Why are you rushing this through?’ I’m like, ‘How slow do we have to go?’ Started in ’18, talking about a ’26 implementation. He said to me, ‘Can’t you just slow this down?’ I’m like, ‘Slower than an eight-year process?’ ”

“I don’t know what the final outcome will be and what we’ll come in. If anybody feels like this is in a hurry I don’t think they’re really paying attention,” Whan added. “We’re talking about we’ve been back and forth in a listening process and we are now again, and we’ve told everybody recently that no earlier than 2026. We’re not talking about this season. We’re not talking about next season. We’re not talking about the season after that. I think if people feel rushed by this, I worry for them because this is a pretty slow process.”

Whan said the governing bodies feel a real responsibility to make sure “that whatever decisions we make don’t fracture some of the strongest pieces of the game.”

It is a complicated decision, and no matter the final decision, Whan knows it is inevitable that some parties will be disappointed. Fred Perpall, the USGA’s president, said that it is a decision being made for the future of golf – 50, 100 plus years down the road.

“We’re at a time in our history where governance and government has been like at an all-time low. No one loves to be governed,” Perpall said. “We all love to be popular, but sometimes I think you have to really think about what’s right. Equipment manufacturers, they’ve done their jobs. The elite players, they’ve done their jobs, too. They’re getting better, stronger, faster.

“But with the USGA and the R&A as governance organizations, like we’re the folks that have to wake up and think about the long-term health of the game.”

“A lot of my friends that I would play golf with would say no one really wants this,” he added. “Sometimes you have to have the courage to really do what’s right.”

On Monday, defending U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick voiced his concern that the Model Local Rule would create two different balls.

“If you’re going to roll the ball back, I think just do it for everyone so everyone is playing the same ball, and if it’s going 30 yards shorter, then great, whatever,” Fitzpatrick said. “I just wish they really would take the PGA Tour players’ thought and advice into consideration because one of the bigger benefits of golf is the fact that all amateurs and all professionals play under the exact same rules, and if you start changing that, it can be a slippery slope.”

2023 U.S. Open
Matt Fitzpatrick at a press conference ahead of the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club. (Photo: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports)

Whan said the governing bodies are doing just that, and they are in the process of listening to all stakeholders of the game.

“Somebody said to me the other day, ‘Why do you go to the (PGA Tour) PAC meeting and ask a bunch of current PGA Tour professionals how do they feel good a ball being shorter. Like do you really have to fly there for that?’ That’s part of the governance. That’s part of the process. I may not like everything they say but I heard everything they said, and I heard everything they said a year ago as we made changes going into this time,” Whan said. “I wouldn’t say I’ve enjoyed the process, but it’s been a great learning experience. I think the feedback process is important and it makes us better. Even when we don’t like the feedback we get, it makes us better. We’ve got to balance over the next step of input whether or not one ball for all or model local rule is kind of a right approach.

“I think it would be impossible to say that this process and this feedback process hasn’t resulted in change along the way, and I believe it will continue to do that.

“I think I can speak on behalf of the R&A when I say both the R&A and the USGA believe doing nothing is a bad idea for the long-term future and health of the game. But part of doing something means you’ve really got to be out there and really asking for and taking direct comments, and that’s what we’ve been doing.”

USGA’s Mike Whan keeps promise: There will be fewer TV commercial interruptions during 2023 U.S. Open

This year, NBC Sports will present the most expansive TV coverage in USGA history.

LOS ANGELES – Mike Whan is a man of his word.

During last year’s U.S. Open, social media was abuzz at the intrusion of too many commercial interruptions into the telecast, which was split between NBC, USA Network and Peacock. Whan read the sea of complaints and promised that the U.S. Golf Association and NBC Sports would fix it for this year. Lo and behold, they worked together to create a 30 percent reduction in commercials breaks during weekend coverage at the 123rd U.S. Open, which amounts to 19 fewer commercials compared to last year.

“This is one of the unfortunate outcomes of your CEO being on Twitter. I’m sure most of my staff would like me to give up on my social media presence. I am sure my wife would like me to give up, she always says, ‘Why do you have to read it in the morning that you’re an idiot and then go to work?’ I don’t know, somehow it grounds you,” said Whan, the USGA’s CEO.

The social media backlash from viewers who found NBC’s broadcast across multiple networks bordering on unwatchable due to the endless ad breaks reached a crescendo on Saturday last year, but didn’t fall on deaf ears. Whan heard and acted swiftly.

2023 U.S. Open
Fans watch the big screen during a practice round of the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club. (Photo: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports)

“To me last year when you’re here all day and you’re in meetings all day and everything else, sometimes you don’t really understand the fan experience until midnight and reading social media,” he explained. “I shouldn’t admit that because I can only imagine the amount of crazies that will come out this week. But I was reading in Boston last year and I thought there was an overwhelming amount of comments about commercial interruptions. First off, I probably shouldn’t engage because engaging in social media is like sticking your face first into the fan. That’s exactly what I did.”

Whan tweeted from his personal account, “I’m on it! We have the best sports production team in the world here with our partner NBC Sports (Olympics, Super Bowl, etc.) and if the amount of interruptions are problematic, we will work with our partner to do better.”

The next day, Whan and NBC agreed to cut the commercial interruptions on Sunday.

“I think if you run a major like we do, we have a responsibility to make everything feel better. I don’t think that’s going to stop the Twitter conversation, but I’m really proud of what’s happened not just this year but what happened in 24 hours last year,” Whan said.

When asked if USGA is taking a reduced rights fee to offset the lost commercial time, Whan said, “No. Sorry to NBC.”

This year, NBC Sports will present the most expansive TV coverage in USGA history, with more than 200 hours across its network. It may offset the lost commercial time with new inventory such as Deloitte’s sponsorship of Bunker Cam and charging a premium for prime-time ads at a West Coast venue that wasn’t available last year when the championship was held in Boston. A NBC spokesperson noted that 40 percent of all breaks are “Playing Thru,” where coverage can still be seen on part of the screen, which was first implemented in 2016.

Whan also touted a new supplemental broadcast called All Access.

“I’m not sure if this is how NBC would describe it, but I’d describe it as Manningcast meets Red Zone,” Whan said. “We are going to have five hours a day on Peacock if you want to check it out with really limited commercial interruptions.”

Whan and NBC responded to the backlash in what should be a positive outcome for viewers at home, and also noted that the final hour of Sunday’s coverage is commercial-free thanks to the USGA’s partnership with Rolex.

“By that point nobody remembers,” Whan said. “But I think it’ll matter.”

USGA CEO Mike Whan wishes PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan ‘a speedy recovery’ at 2023 U.S. Open

“We’re full steam ahead as a business,” said PGA Tour COO Tyler Dennis.

LOS ANGELES — United States Golf Association CEO Mike Whan began the governing body’s annual new conference ahead of the 2023 U.S. Open by wishing PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan well.

“Hope you’re watching this, hope you’re feeling better, and everyone at the USGA wishes you a speedy recovery,” said Whan.

On Tuesday night the PGA Tour announced that Monahan, 53, is “recuperating from a medical situation” and that in his absence, Chief Operating Officer Ron Price and Executive Vice President Tyler Dennis would lead the day-to-day operations. The Tour also held a brief meeting Wednesday morning to address the staff amid a great time of uncertainty.

Appearing on Golf Channel’s “Live from the U.S. Open,” Dennis said there was no further update on Monahan’s situation.

“We’re full steam ahead as a business,” Dennis said. “All of our priorities remain unchanged. We had a big announcement last week and nothing is changing in that regard. We’re working very hard toward the definitive agreements. There’ll be a lot of news on that subject in the coming weeks and months.

“It’s full steam ahead, day to day as a business, and we’re stronger than we’ve ever been and we’re focused on the future.”

Last week the bombshell news broke that the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund had partnered to create a new global golf entity. Monahan, 53, was thrust back into the spotlight because of his previous comments about LIV Golf, which was fully financed by the PIF, and the commissioner was heavily criticized, especially by the 9/11 families group.

Monahan joined the PGA Tour in 2008 and was named the Tour’s fourth commissioner on Jan. 1, 2017, when he succeeded Tim Finchem. The Massachusetts native graduated from Trinity College in 1993 and was a four-year member of the golf team. He then earned a masters degree in sport management from UMass in 1995.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with PGA Tour commissioner and friend to many, Jay Monahan, his wife Susan and their entire family,” said PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh via a statement. “He has given so much of himself to our beautiful sport and we wish him a very quick recovery back to health and the game we all love.”

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