{"id":531719,"date":"2026-03-18T23:28:21","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T23:28:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/531719\/"},"modified":"2026-03-18T23:28:21","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T23:28:21","slug":"bryson-dechambeau-liv-golf-teammates-speak-against-rollback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/531719\/","title":{"rendered":"Bryson DeChambeau, LIV Golf Teammates Speak Against Rollback"},"content":{"rendered":"

The next LIV Golf rebrand should see Bryson DeChambeau\u2019s Crushers GC become Gaslighters GC after the team\u2019s press conference<\/a> ahead of this week\u2019s event in South Africa.<\/p>\n

DeChambeau, Paul Casey, Anirban Lahiri, and Charles Howell III spoke with the media on Tuesday about the first-ever event in South Africa and the season so far, but it was a question about golf equipment getting out of hand that caught my attention. I won\u2019t speak for my coworkers, but avid readers will know Fried Egg Golf is pro-rollback<\/a>. We\u2019ve answered FAQ\u2019s on the subject<\/a>, addressed enforcement<\/a>, and welcomed guests like Tom Doak and Roberto Castro<\/a> to talk about the rollback from both architecture and PGA Tour perspectives. Naturally, we have some thoughts on the clip.<\/p>\n

Bryson came out swinging with his answer, arguing that drivers from 2009 and today are \u201crelatively the same and not much has changed,\u201d and the boom in distance in golf should be attributed to athletic ability and players \u201cnot being afraid to go after shots, swing harder, be more aggressive.\u201d You know, things they can do because of how fargiving \u2014 a fake word used by a very real equipment company to sell its products \u2014 clubs are these days compared to, let\u2019s say, 2009 or prior.<\/p>\n

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Paul Casey then pointed out that players don\u2019t get enough credit as athletes, and OEMs aren\u2019t to blame because they\u2019re \u201cdoing what they do\u201d to make better-performing clubs and balls. In a vacuum, both of those statements may be true, but when it comes to the game as a whole, just because players are more athletic and governing bodies were asleep at the wheel when it came to distance doesn\u2019t mean there isn\u2019t a serious problem at hand. <\/p>\n

\u201cRemember, the architects did their thing with pushing out the golf courses, building more houses,\u201d Casey added, without noting the reason for building new, longer courses and renovating older designs was to keep up with equipment technology. <\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the hardest golf courses are some of the shortest, like Valderrama every year is by far one of the hardest golf courses we play,\u201d Anirban Lahiri chimed in, though being on LIV\u2019s schedule sets a low bar for a test provided by a venue. \u201cIt doesn’t even compare to the last 10 U.S. Open venues, but it plays like a U.S. Open.\u201d<\/p>\n

Does it? The U.S. Open is defined by more than just the leaderboard, but the last three winning scores at LIV Golf Andalucia \u2013 all 54-hole tournaments, mind you \u2013 were -8, -5, and -12, for an average winning score of -8.33. The average winning score of the last three U.S. Opens \u2013 a 72-hole championship \u2013 is -5.67.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo it’s not just about equipment. Like Paul said, there’s so many facets, but everybody only talks about that,\u201d Lahiri said. \u201cIt’s an unfair argument.\u201d<\/p>\n

Opposing viewpoints don\u2019t make for an unfair argument. Willfully avoiding the whole point, however, does. Enter again, DeChambeau.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are the bodies of golf trying to accomplish?\u201d Bryson asked. \u201cAre they trying to preserve the traditions and history of the game, or are they trying to grow the game, because those are two different things.”<\/p>\n

To suggest these two questions cannot have the same answer, create a binary, and leave zero room in the middle of the Venn diagram is simply asinine. Both these things can be pursued and achieved. Bryson is creating a false choice. It is Logical Fallacy 101 for the big-hitting YouTuber. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey can cross over in some facets, in some regard, but when you’re trying to preserve the traditions and history of the game, yeah, you’re going to want to go back to a golf ball that’s going shorter because players are more athletic. Yeah, you’re going to want to shrink the heads,\u201d he continued. \u201cBut if you want to grow the game, that’s not how you get kids to hit the golf ball farther and enjoy it and want to be a part of this game. They’re at a bit of crossroads right now and they have to answer those questions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luckily for Bryson, those questions were answered, in the opening paragraph, nearly three years ago when the R&A and USGA announced the proposed plan<\/a>. \u201cThe decision aims to reduce the impact increased hitting distances have on golf\u2019s long-term sustainability while minimizing the impact on the recreational game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Did you fall in love with the game because you hit the ball far? I know I didn\u2019t. Most players get hooked after hitting that first, perfect shot. It\u2019s a feeling we chase every swing for 18 holes every time we tee it up. But if this is a concern for DeChambeau, perhaps he wants to go back to the bifurcation proposal, where the top pros can play clubs proportionate to their skills, like big leaguers switching from metal to wood bats, while the kids still chase the simple feeling of hitting it far. <\/p>\n

The governing bodies projected that the longest hitters will see a 13- to 15-yard reduction in driving distance. Most recreational players are expected to lose five yards or less. Minimal interference. But as many have already said, including Rory McIlroy, the equipment companies will quickly recoup the yards lost and push the limits because they are excellent at what they do. These are nonsensical scare tactics. If, as Bryson suggests, this is owing to the athletes, then good on them! Because they have become so powerful and talented that we\u2019ve seen a game de-skilled into driver wedge and courses so obsoleted that now regulation is required to contain them. So let\u2019s play to the ego: Full credit to you, Bryson!<\/p>\n

New courses hopefully won\u2019t need to be as long as they are now, and established courses won\u2019t need to be lengthened just to keep up with technology. That means less water usage and more sustainable maintenance practices in a time when both are greatly needed. Shorter driver distances could allow some forgotten Golden Age courses to host professional tournaments again.<\/p>\n

Professional players and the equipment companies have their reasons for being anti-rollback and are entitled to those opinions. Most of them, however, are driven by competing interests, most of which are personal. That rarely exists on the other side of the debate, unless you think architects are about to get rich from a rollback. When met with facts, looking through a lens for the betterment of the overall game, how is this still a debate?<\/p>\n

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