{"id":329618,"date":"2025-12-05T15:04:11","date_gmt":"2025-12-05T15:04:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/329618\/"},"modified":"2025-12-05T15:04:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T15:04:11","slug":"golf-legend-sir-nick-faldo-blasts-rule-change-what-difference-does-that-make","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/329618\/","title":{"rendered":"Golf legend Sir Nick Faldo blasts rule change: “What difference does that make?”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Six-time major champion Sir Nick Faldo thinks golf’s rule makers should have considered shortening the tee peg or reducing the face of the driver instead of rolling back the ball<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For years golf’s rule makers have grappled with the issue of distance in the elite men’s game.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The R&A and USGA want to protect golf courses that are not long enough to cope with today’s drives of more than 340 yards.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In late 2023, the governing bodies announced professionals will be required to use a modified ball from 2028, with amateurs to follow two years later.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The PGA Tour<\/a> has never supported the plan whilst the PGA of America, a close ally that runs one of the four majors, is in the same camp.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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It remains to be seen whether Augusta National will adopt the rule at The Masters<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Faldo told National Club Golfer<\/a> he doesn’t believe the plans will make a difference whatsoever.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“It’s designed for the guys who have got 125mph clubhead speed,” Faldo told NCG.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“If you’re back down at 100mph \u2013 you\u2019re going to get affected more at that end than they are.<\/p>\n

“They’re going to lose 10\/15 yards off their 360-yard drive. Whoop-de-do! They’re now at 345. What difference does that make?”<\/p>\n

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\"Sir <\/p>\n

Sir Nick Faldo<\/p>\n

Faldo continued: “But the other end is going to hurt. It’s a bigger percentage, isn’t it?\u00a0<\/p>\n

“If you’re hitting it 270 and you lose 15, that’s going to hurt a lot more than at the other end. I<\/p>\n

“I’m not a fan of rolling back \u2013 I keep going on about skill, bring back skill. The obvious (one) is the size of the driver face.”<\/p>\n

Faldo suggested changing the size of the tee peg would be a potential solution.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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“That doesn’t cost a dollar to write that in the book,” he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“I even thought for pros on a course under 7200 yards, which is short, say to the guys \u2013 no tee pegs this week.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“And if you’re good enough to place it and hit a driver off the deck, good for you.<\/p>\n

“If we’ve got length rules, what if we said nothing less than 10 degrees with a driver? That’s like a 2-wood, but it’s a different-shaped shot.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“And we go to the other end, 56 degrees is the max. That’s it, no more 60s and 62s.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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“That’s a written rule change that’s not going to cost the manufacturers a penny, but they would then start developing the driver.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“How can we make the driver go further at 10 degrees? There’s a handful of guys who can hit it 340 through the air.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“That is frightening, to think a seriously good driver in my day was 260.”<\/p>\n

What have others said about the rollback?<\/p>\n

The majority if elite men’s players are against the proposals.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Justin Thomas and Bryson DeChambeau<\/a> are just two names who have voiced their disgust, with the latter making a full YouTube video showing the difference in his game over 18 holes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Rory McIlroy is perhaps the only high-profile player who publicly supports the rollback.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When the initial plans were announced, McIlroy made a rare post on social media explaining how he believes it will make zero difference.\u00a0<\/p>\n

McIlroy<\/a> was always a supporter of bifurcating golf’s rules. “I don’t understand the anger about the golf ball roll back,” he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Rory <\/p>\n

Rory McIlroy<\/p>\n

“The people who are upset about this decision shouldn’t be mad at the governing bodies, they should be mad at elite pros and club\/ball manufacturers because they didn’t want bifurcation.<\/p>\n

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“Elite pros and ball manufacturers think bifurcation would negatively affect their bottom lines, when, in reality, the game is already bifurcated.<\/p>\n

“You think we play the same stuff you do? They put pressure on the governing bodies to roll it back to a lesser degree for everyone.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“Bifurcation was the logical answer for everyone, but, yet again in this game, money talks.”<\/p>\n

What do you think about the plans to rollback the golf ball?<\/p>\n

Drop us a comment below.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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