After The USGA Announcement, Will the LPGA Tour and the LET Get Affected By the Controversial Ball Roll Back Policy?

The Golf ball rollback policy has perhaps faced the biggest pushback since LIV Golf. The Royal and Ancient (R&A) and United States Golf Association (USGA), two of the most powerful governing bodies of the game, proposed a rule change that irked pros and amateurs alike. The novel idea proposes to limit the driving distance of golfers by introducing a new low-flight ball. 

A final decision is yet to be taken, but there are reasons to believe it might come sooner rather than later. Amidst all this, there comes the question of where do the LPGA Pros stand. How will it impact their game? Most importantly, while there is much furor from the men’s side, why does an eerie silence engulf the female circuit?

Will LPGA Pros be affected by the golf ball rollback policy?

R&A and USGA earlier said in March that the new Model Local Rules (MLR) will only apply to the men’s games. The reason is that the officials at the USGA & R&A don’t see the driving speed as a problem in the female circuit. R&A chief, Martin Slumbers said, “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.” LPGA Tour, in a statement, echoed similar sentiments, “At this time, we do not see distance as a hindrance toward the growth of the LPGA Tour.”

Notably, the female golfers lag behind the PGA Tour Pros in terms of driving distance. Rory McIlroy averages a mammoth 326.3 yards in driving distance – the highest on the men’s circuit. The Tour average is 299.4 yards. The story is pretty similar on the other side of the fence as well. 28 of 48 LIV Golf stars have an average driving distance of 300 yards or more. 

On the LPGA front, however, Polly Mack is the most powerful hitter with an average of 281.50. While Lexi Thompson is known to be a hard hitter – she crushed a 316-yard drive at the Shriners’ Children Open  – the average driving distance at the LPGA Tour is well within the tolerance level of USGA and R&A. 

Moreover, the rules are non-conforming. So, even if there is a Golf ball rollback policy in the near future, both tours have the option to reject them, as Jay Monahan has done. However, while the American and European regular tours draw a breather, what about the Majors?

What happens to the LGPA Majors?

R&A and USGA are not just two regulatory authorities. Both are organizers of two of the most prestigious LPGA Majors – The Women’s Open and the U.S Women’s Open. Does that mean, in these two Majors the female golfers will have to play with a flight-curbed ball?

Read More: Jay Monahan’s Mighty Opposition Faces a Contradictory Verdict From Tiger Woods, Amid Controversial Ball Roll Back Update

Well, no. Again, the same logic applies here. Slumbers and Mike Whan, USGA CEO, feel the driving distance for female golfers doesn’t warrant a policy change as of now. So, there won’t be two different balls in the regular matches and the two Majors. But let’s not forget, that the driving distance has increased over the year in the LPGA Tour too. It won’t be surprising if both the rule-makers feel golf ball rollback is necessary five years down the line.

Watch This Story: USGA and R&A Tips Their Hats in Favor of Ball Rollback Despite Huge Outcry Against the Controversial Policy