R&A – Page 4 – Syndication Server

Mississippi State’s Chiara Horder claims 120th Women’s Amateur Championship title, beating Clemson’s Annabelle Pancake

Horder earned exemptions into four majors.

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Chiara Horder watched Leonie Harm and Aline Krauter win the Women’s Amateur Championship in 2018 and 2020, and wanted to follow in the footsteps of her fellow Germans.

She did just that in dominating fashion in 2023.

Horder, 20, won the 120th Women’s Amateur Championship on Sunday at Prince’s Golf Club in Sandwich, United Kingdom, topping Annabelle Pancake 7 and 6 to claim the title. She’s the third German to hoist the trophy in six years, and it’s a signature win on her resume.

“I feel amazing. I’m so happy,” Horder, “I am so fortunate to win this big championship. I mean, it’s one of the biggest amateur championships, so I’m super, super happy, and I honestly cannot believe it right now, so yeah.”

Horder, who transferred to Mississippi State from Texas Tech this summer, will be a junior in the fall. She’s ranked 273rd in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, but her biggest victory came in the semifinals, when she knocked off No. 1 Ingrid Lindblad to advance to the finals.

2023 Women's Amateur Championship — Annabelle Pancake (left) and Chiara Horder after the final match of the 2023 Women’s Amateur Championship. (Photo: R&A)

Horder earned exemptions for the Amundi Evian Championship and AIG Women’s British Open later this summer, and next year, she’ll tee it up at the Chevron Championship and US Women’s Open. She will also have an invitation to the 2024 Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

“I cannot believe that I will be teeing it up there,” Horder said “I mean, it’s definitely a dream. It’s definitely a goal just to compete in these majors.

“Competing in the AIG Women’s Open is just amazing. It’s definitely a dream.”

Leading by three at the halfway mark, Horder cruised in the afternoon session thanks to four birdies on par 3s and precision off the tee.

Pancake, 21, was bidding to be the first winner from the United States since Kelli Kuehne in 1996. The senior at Clemson was cheered on by her dad, Tony, who arrived on Father’s Day after an overnight flight from Indiana helped by funds from members at Crooked Stick Golf Club.

“Yes, it was so cool,” Pancake said. “He told me that he might be able to make it, so I wasn’t for sure, but when I saw him, it was such a special thing.”

Horder become the third player to win the Women’s Amateur at Prince’s. The course had a field of 144 players representing 36 countries, including 12 players ranked inside the top 50 on the WAGR.

Portmarnock will host the 121st Women’s Amateur Championship, June 24-29, 2024.

R&A boss Martin Slumbers ‘pleased’ by LIV-PGA Tour-DP World Tour merger

The R&A said “we look forward to working with the new entity for the benefit of the sport globally” as to professional golf’s new format.

Martin Slumbers, CEO of the R&A, weighed in Tuesday on the announcement that LIV Golf, the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour plan to merge under the umbrella of one new for-profit company that is yet to be named.

The R&A governs the sport of golf in most of the world outside the United States and Mexico. The R&A (originally part of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club but now an independent governing body) is separate from the DP World Tour, formerly the European Tour. The R&A conducts the Open Championship, known by many in the U.S. as the British Open. In cooperation with the USGA, the R&A determines the Rules of Golf.

It was not made clear if the R&A had been aware of the merger ahead of Tuesday’s statement. Many professional golfers have expressed surprise upon hearing the news. The USGA had not made any statements about the planned merger as of early Tuesday afternoon.

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The full statement from Slumbers, who has been head of the R&A since 2015:

“We are pleased that an agreement has been reached which will help men’s professional golf move forward in a collaborative, constructive and innovative fashion. We care deeply about golf’s future and are committed to ensuring that the sport continues to thrive for many years to come. This agreement represents a huge step toward achieving that goal for golf and we look forward to working with the new entity for the benefit of the sport globally.”

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2023 Masters: Fred Ridley, Augusta National hint support for USGA and R&A’s golf ball rollback

Could Augusta National also be on board for golf ball rollback?

Around the hollowed grounds of Augusta National Golf Club, with its blooming flowers, manicured turf and pearly-white bunkers, members of the media and other dignitaries at the Masters Tournament refer to the man in charge as “Chairman Ridley.”

In Liberty Corners, New Jersey, they call him something less formal.

“Oh, we just call him Fred,” a well-positioned United States Golf Association staffer recently said.

For those who may not know, Ridley won the 1975 U.S. Amateur, the USGA’s most prestigious amateur tournament for men. He is the last winner of that event not to turn professional, but he served on the USGA’s executive board from 1994 until 2005 and was the USGA’s president in 2004 and 2005.

Masters 2023 leaderboard: Get the latest news from Augusta

With the bond between Ridley — who became a member of Augusta National in 2000 and its seventh chairman 17 years later — and the USGA running deep, it came as no surprise on Wednesday morning that Ridley hinted at support for the USGA and R&A’s proposal for the creation of a new Model Local Rule that could require elite male golfers to start using a distance-reducing golf ball in 2026.

“As the comment period remains open, we will be respectful of the process as the USGA and the R&A consider this important issue,” Ridley said in his opening comments. “We have been consistent in our support of the governing bodies and we re-state our desire to see distance addressed.”

Moments later, when asked by a reporter for more detail and his personal thoughts on distance and the potential use of distance-reducing golf balls, Ridley added, “I think, in a general sense, we do support the proposal, but because it’s in the middle of a comment period, it could change. The whole purpose of the comment period is to take the input from the industry. So we will look at the final product and make a decision. But generally, we have always been supportive of the governing bodies. I’ve stated that we believe distance needs to be addressed. I think the natural conclusion is, yes, we will be supportive.”

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This has been a fantastic week for the USGA and R&A’s proposed Model Local Rule because, with the addition of Ridley and, by extension, the Masters Tournament, three massively-influential voices have come forward in support of the idea of a golf ball rollback.

“I think this should have happened long ago, ” Tiger Woods said Tuesday. “That’s what Jack [Nicklaus] was saying, the [Titleist 384 ball] was going too far. This is back in the ’80s. But still, that was my take on it. The amateurs should be able to have fun and still hit the golf ball far, but we can be regulated about how far we hit it.”

Rory McIlroy also reiterated his support by saying Tuesday, “It’s a big deal, and you know, it could dramatically change the landscape of our game going forward. I’m certainly in the camp that I believe that it’s the right thing to do,” said Rory McIlroy on Tuesday.”

We already know that if the proposed Model Local Rule is passed, it will be adopted and put into play at the 2026 U.S. Open and British Opens. Now we have reason to believe the Masters would adopt it too, which will put pressure on the PGA of America to adopt it or risk being the only major championship not requiring players to use a distance-reducing ball.

Taken one more hypothetical step further, if the four major championships all announce that they would require golfers to use a distance-reducing ball, it could make it easier for PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan to do the same thing.

And if that happens, the folks in Liberty Corners, New Jersey, will be writing ‘Thank You’ notes to their friend Fred.

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TaylorMade survey suggest golfers strongly oppose USGA, R&A golf ball rollback

More than 45,000 people took part, according to TaylorMade.

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A week after the USGA and R&A announced a proposed Model Local Rule (MLR) that could mandate elite players to use a reduced-distance golf ball, TaylorMade joined other equipment makers in voicing skepticism and worry about what it might do to the sport. The second sentence of the statement said, “This will introduce bifurcation into our sport, meaning that you – the golfer – will play with different equipment than the professionals.”

Thursday morning, the equipment company based in Carlsbad, California, released the results of a survey it conducted to gauge recreational golfers’ ideas on the proposed Model Local Rule. More than 45,000 people took part, according to TaylorMade, and the overwhelming response was recreational golfers are not in favor of the USGA and R&A’s plans.

When asked, “To the best of your knowledge, do you agree with the proposed golf ball rule,” 81 percent responded ‘No’ in the survey, while 77 percent said that the average hitting distances in professional golf do not need to be reduced.

“The goal of our survey was to give golfers the opportunity to voice their opinion on this proposed ruling as we absorb the MLR and its potential effects on the everyday golfer,” said David Abeles, TaylorMade’s president and CEO. “We are grateful that nearly 45,000 golfers across the world felt the need for their voices to be heard. The overwhelming amount of responses show the passion, knowledge and care for the game our audience possesses. Each response and data point is being reviewed as we will utilize this feedback in our preparation to provide a response to the USGA and R&A.”

TaylorMade’s survey consisted of 14 questions, including the respondent’s handicap level. 85 percent of people who took the survey said the MLR would not have any impact on how much golf they played when TaylorMade asked for three words to describe the proposed MLR, the most common words used were “Unnecessary,” “Stupid” and “Dumb.”

After announcing the proposed MLR, the USGA and R&A stated that a comment period would take place until Aug. 14. During the comment period, stakeholders like equipment companies, players, golf course operators, professional tours and others can weigh in and provide feedback to the game’s governing bodies. After the comment period concludes, the USGA and R&A will likely go over reports and new input, and it is anticipated that they will announce a decision regarding the proposed MLR by the end of 2023. If it passes, that would give equipment makers like TaylorMade, Titleist, Callaway, Bridgestone and Srixon two years to create balls that could pass the modified testing procedures and conform with the Model Local Rule.

The TaylorMade study does not claim to be a scientifically-created, cross-section of all golfers, it can safely be assumed that golfers who opted to take the survey after seeing it promoted on TaylorMade’s social media channels and website think positively of the brand and its viewpoints.

While some people will see the survey as biased, it represents a clear challenge to the USGA and R&A’s position that distance is a problem at the elite level and needs to be reduced. The game’s governing bodies were well aware of how polarizing an issue distance has become before they announced the proposed MLR, and a key for its acceptance in the golf community is winning over weekend golfers and recreational players who will not be affected by it. While the USGA and R&A staunchly oppose bifurcation, many golfers feel the adoption of the MLR would amount to precisely that, creating different sets of rules to govern players of different abilities.

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How does the USGA and R&A test golf balls, and how would a rollback change those tests?

Golf ball testing might change for elite players, but how does it all work at the USGA and R&A?

Golf ball testing has become one of the hottest topics in the sport since the USGA and R&A proposed a new Model Local Rule that, if enacted, might force elite players to use golf balls that won’t go as far as balls currently on the market.

Some see this move as potentially bifurcating the game by forcing the best players to use different equipment than recreational golfers. Others see it as a long overdue move that would rein in distance for the strongest professionals while not affecting recreational golfers – the vast majority of players.

Golf’s governing bodies are in a comment period in which stakeholders such as golf equipment companies, professional tours, golf course operators and others can provide feedback on the proposed Model Local Rule. So far, equipment companies such as Titleist, TaylorMade and Bridgestone have voiced displeasure and skepticism, noting that a fundamental part of golf is that everyone plays the same course and is governed by the same rules, including equipment rules.

That concept, to some, is a unifying trait, but the USGA, R&A and the Model Local Rule’s supporters see it as a way to keep historically significant courses playable for championship-level events. They want to keep shotmaking in the game and reduce the need for courses to be lengthened, which would cost course operators money and have a greater environmental impact.

Most golfers don’t know how golf balls are tested, but understanding the process can help you understand the proposed Model Local Rule and how it could affect elite golfers. Here is how it works.

As many of his peers bash the idea, Rory McIlroy supports the potential golf ball rollback: ‘I think it’s going to help identify who the best players are a bit easier’

“I think you’re gonna see people with more well-rounded games succeed easier than what the game has become.”

After the USGA and R&A announced their proposal for a new Model Local Rule that would limit distance at the elite level last week, several of the game’s biggest names unanimously stated their disdain for the potential change.

“It’s so bad for the game of golf,” Justin Thomas said before the Valspar Championship.

“I think it’s the most atrocious thing that you could possibly do to the game of golf,” LIV golfer Bryson DeChambeau said.

We could go on.

However, Rory McIlroy is on the other side of the fence. He spoke with No Laying Up Tuesday ahead of this week’s WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin, Texas, and explained why rolling back the ball in 2026 would separate the best golfers from the rest of the pack.

“I’ve been pretty adamant that I don’t really want the governing bodies to touch the recreational golfer because we need to make this game as not intimidating and as much fun as possible,” he said, “just to try to keep the participation levels at an all-time high. So, I’m glad in this new proposal that they haven’t touched the recreational golfer.

“But for elite-level play, I really like it. I really do. I know that’s a really unpopular opinion amongst my peers, but I think it’s going to help identify who the best players are a bit easier. Especially in this era of parity that we’ve been living in these past couple of decades. You guys (at No Laying Up) use the term ‘golf has been dumbed down a little bit at the elite level,’ and I completely agree. I think you’re gonna see people with more well-rounded games succeed easier than what the game has become, which is a bit bomb and gouge over these last few years.”

Rory McIlroy hits from the twelfth hole tee during the second round of The Genesis Invitational golf tournament. (Photo: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)

If the governing bodies’ goal is met, driving distance will fall ~15 yards. For McIlroy, this means longer clubs into greens and another opportunity for the best players to rise to the top.

“Selfishly, I think it helps me,” he said. “I think this is only gonna help the better player. You know, it might help the longer player too, in some ways. But I think it’s going to help the overall professional game. I think making guys hit some long irons again, and some mid irons, and being able to hit every club in your bag in a round of golf. … I can’t remember the last time when I’ve had to do that. I don’t know if this change in the ball will make us do that, but it certainly is a step closer to that.”

The unique thing about the proposed rule is that the PGA Tour does not have to adopt the change. Meaning, if the Tour sticks with the existing ball, players would have to use a different ball at the U.S. Open or Open Championship than they do at the Travelers Championship, for example.

Instead of going back and forth, McIlroy said he would stick with the new MLR ball.

“Honestly, for me, the major championships are the biggest deal,” he said, “so if the PGA Tour doesn’t implement it, I might still play the Model Local Rule ball, because I know that that’ll give me the best chance and the best preparation leading into the major championships. And again, this is personal preference and personal opinion at this stage of my career. I know that I’m gonna be defined by the amount of major championships that I hopefully will win from now until the end of my career. And that’s the most important thing for me.

“If that gives me the best chance to succeed at the major championships and feel as prepared as I possibly can be, then that’s what I would do.”

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Lynch: Despite gripes, there are reasons why PGA Tour players could eventually accept new golf ball rule

The first opportunity to make a stand against this measure is likely to be April 9, 2026. In Augusta, Georgia.

If indignant PGA Tour players are to be believed – bear with me – Mike Whan and Martin Slumbers are unaccountable despots bent on ruining golf, in which case they’re due thanks for momentarily distracting us from the unaccountable despot who is actually decimating the game, though MBS won’t ever be criticized for such by players under his writ.

The chief executives of the USGA and R&A have proposed an optional rule that, if adopted by tournaments or tours after Jan. 1, 2026, would force golfers to use a modified ball that pauses rampant distance gains at the elite level. Like everything else these days, reactions have been polarized. Dewy-eyed romantics say it doesn’t sufficiently return us to a bygone era of balata brilliance, while Tour pros sing the sponsor standards, from “Grow the game!” to “Grow the rough!” — views invariably offered while sporting the logos of companies with a commercial interest in seeing no action taken on distance.

Sam Burns went so far as to suggest that players could one day present themselves at a major championship and insist on using regular balls, daring organizers to turn them away. The first opportunity to make such a stand is likely to be April 9, 2026. In Augusta, Georgia. Private Burns would find few in his imaginary army willing to go over the top with him.

There is clearly no widespread support among PGA Tour players for a rule limiting golf balls, but nor is support nonexistent. Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods are among those who have called for distance to be mitigated, and more prominent voices may be added to their chorus in the coming days. While it seems awfully improbable now that the PGA Tour and its members would choose to adopt a new rule, changing circumstances can change minds.

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Whan and Slumbers made clear that both Opens will implement the rule if it’s an option in 2026. Those attuned to Augusta National’s hymnal can anticipate Chairman Fred Ridley’s preferred coda: the Masters will join the governing bodies in adopting a modified ball. That creates a dilemma for the PGA of America, which prides itself on not vexing players, either in course set-up or rules disputes. The PGA Championship is already regarded as last among equals. If the other majors go with a modified ball, will the PGA of America really balk and further cleave itself from the club in the minds of fans? If opponents of the proposed rule are hoping for support at the pinnacle of the sport, Frisco could prove a pretty flimsy firewall.

A similarly unappetizing predicament looms for the PGA Tour. The majors already exist above the weekly fray, much to the Tour’s chagrin. To what extent would the Tour be willing to see that perception grow? Choosing to emphasize an entertainment product – players smashing the long ball, which I’m told chicks dig – risks diminishing the Tour’s competitive image, at least when measured against major championships.

It would be ‘golf, but longer,’ in the parlance of dud marketing.

There will be talk of engagement and compromise in the five-month comment period set by the governing bodies, but there have already been numerous feedback opportunities during this lengthy process. The Tour’s argument has been presented but not heeded. The USGA and R&A have ensured that no constituency can claim to have been ignored, but they are unmoved by opposition to action. Their proposal feels less an invitation to negotiation than an issuing of notice.

As surely as the political considerations of various entities will shift in the three years before the rule takes effect, so too will the outlook of many players. Relationships with equipment manufacturers might influence attitudes now, but enormous increases in prize money and bonuses will soon dwarf off-course deals for elite stars. Golf’s existing endorsement model will increasingly be seen by top players as a time drain rather than essential to business. With sponsors less of a factor, players who don’t want to switch balls for legacy-defining majors might decide that playing a modified ball year-round isn’t too bad of an alternative.

Speculative? Sure, but not implausible. The context in which both individuals and organizations will ultimately make their decisions is not the context that prevails in this blowback phase of the proceedings. Whan and Slumbers may have calculated that they can ride out the rage and wait for the cavalry. All they need is a simple nod of assent from the real power in this game. Mr. Chairman, the floor is yours.

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‘It’s the most atrocious thing that you could possibly do to the game of golf’: 8 pros react to the USGA and R&A’s proposal to rollback golf ball

Here’s what some of the pros are saying about the rolling back the golf ball.

On Tuesday, the USGA and R&A announced a proposal for a new Model Local Rule that would rollback the golf ball in an effort to limit distance at the elite level.

As you’d expect, fans took to social media to discuss whether or not the change would be good for golf. But they weren’t the only ones.

Over the last 24 hours, numerous PGA Tour pros have chimed in with their thoughts, as did Bryson DeChambeau of the LIV Golf League, who is less than pleased with the governing bodies’ decision.

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Here’s what DeChambeau, Justin Thomas, Phil Mickelson and five more pros had to say:

‘It’s so bad for the game’: Justin Thomas doesn’t hold back when it comes to new golf ball rollback proposal that would limit distance

“Like, try to explain to me how that’s better for the game of golf.”

PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Justin Thomas believes golf’s governing bodies have created a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist. At the Valspar Championship, the 15-time PGA Tour winner didn’t hold back when asked about the USGA and R&A proposal to rollback the golf ball for elite male players.

“It’s so bad for the game of golf,” said Thomas.

The proposal, which wouldn’t be implemented until 2026, would allow tournament organizers to implement a Model Local Rule that would require players to use modified golf balls to reduce distance at the highest levels of men’s golf. The USGA and R&A anticipate a reduction in driver distance of 14-15 yards.

The move would not impact amateur golfers or elite female players.

“For an everyday amateur golfer,” said Thomas, “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 or whatever.”

If adopted, both the USGA and R&A plan to implement the new rule in their respective championships.

“So for two of the four biggest events of the year we’re going to have to use a different ball?” asked Thomas, who is sponsored by Titleist. “Like, try to explain to me how that’s better for the game of golf.

“And they’re basing it off the top 1 percent of all golfers. You know what I mean? I don’t know how many of y’all consistently play golf in here, but I promise none of you have come in from the golf course and said, ‘You know, I’m hitting it so far and straight today that golf’s just not even fun anymore.’ Like, no, that’s not – it’s just not reality.”

USGA CEO Mike Whan said the proposal isn’t about how the game stands today but rather where it’s headed, as players continue to get longer each season and courses run out of room. As custodians of the game, R&A CEO Martin Slumbers said it would be irresponsible to do nothing in regards to distance. Whan agrees.

“This is not really about today,” said Whan, “it’s about understanding the historical trends over the last 10, 20, 40 years and being able to be very predictive in terms of those trends over the next 20 or 40 years going forward and questioning whether or not the game can sustain 20 or 40 years from now the kind of increases that are so incredibly easy to predict.

“If we simply do nothing, we pass that to the next generation and to all the golf course venues around the world for them to just simply figure out.”

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Thomas, the highest-ranked player in the field at Valspar at No. 10, said he’s all for not letting it go any further. But he stands against rolling the game back into the 1990s.

“I mean, people are running faster,” said Thomas, “so, what, are they just going to make the length of a mile longer so that the fastest mile time doesn’t change, or are they going to put the NBA hoop at 13 feet because people can jump higher now?

“Like, no. It’s evolution. We’re athletes now. Like, we’re training to hit the ball further and faster and if you can do it, so good for you. So yeah, as you can tell, I’m clearly against it.”

Sam Burns, who is going for a three-peat here at Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead Course, thinks the whole idea of a rollback is “pretty silly.”

Burns, who has accumulated the lowest scoring average at Copperhead of 68.63, looks to become the first player since Steve Sticker to three-peat (John Deere Classic 2009-2011). Tiger Woods has won the same PGA Tour event at least three years in a row six different times. Stuart Appleby did the same at the WGC-CA Championship from 2005-2007.

“At the end of the day, no matter what it is, we’re an entertainment sport,” said Burns, “and I think, I don’t think people necessarily want to come out here and watch guys hit it shorter. They enjoy watching guys go out there and hit it 350 yards. I don’t see what the problem is with that. I think that’s a skill, and I don’t really agree with trying to take that away.”

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USGA, R&A proposal to limit distance in elite golf is not intended to impact women

The distance impact is not intended to impact women.

One would be hard-pressed to find anyone who believes there’s a distance problem in women’s golf. That includes the governing bodies, too, as the USGA and R&A made it clear in Tuesday’s press conference that the Model Local Rule intended to reduce distance at the highest levels of men’s golf will not apply to elite female players or recreational players.

The governing bodies have proposed the use of modified golf balls to reduce hitting distances by 14-15 yards on average for the longest hitters with the highest clubhead speeds. The Model Local Rule (MLR) would give competition organizers, like the LPGA and Ladies European Tour, the option to implement.

“You’re certainly seeing changes in the women’s game where more power, longer distances is coming in than maybe even five years ago,” said Martin Slumbers, CEO of The R&A. “But, at the moment, there’s plenty of headroom on the golf courses that we have for the women’s game.

“So we would not be intending to make any application of this rule in women’s elite golf at this point.”

The R&A, of course, runs the AIG Women’s British Open while the USGA runs the U.S. Women’s Open.

Mike Whan, the current USGA CEO and former LPGA commissioner, echoed Slumbers’ thoughts, adding: “Whether or not they implement this now, as in every case, is their decision, but this would provide choice longer term, and I think longer term we’ll be glad this choice is available.”

While 83 players on the PGA Tour average 300 yards or more off the tee this season, last year, no player on the LPGA averaged 280 or higher. Maria Fassi led the tour last year with a 279.250 average.

As the USGA And R&A continue to have conversations around the topic across the industry, the proposal, if adopted, wouldn’t take effect until Jan. 1, 2026.

The LPGA offered the following statement on the USGA’s announcement:

“The LPGA is appreciative of the leadership and stewardship of the USGA and The R&A on a variety of topics, including distance. At this time, we do not see distance as a hindrance toward the growth of the LPGA Tour or to the courses on which we can compete. We intend to explore and examine this proposal during the comment period and beyond from all angles. As always, we will act in accordance with what is best for our players, our partners, our Tour, our fans and the women’s game overall. We are committed to ensuring the golf course is an equitable place for everyone, and our focus will be on helping grow the women’s game and providing equal opportunities for girls and women of all ages.”

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