Different USGA Spin on Tourney Ball

Different USGA Spin on Tourney Ball
January 27, 2005

Vartan Kupelian in the Detroit News takes an in-depth look at the golf ball distance debate. He offers some of the most extensive quotes to date from Callaway spokesman Larry Dorman, whose company supports the idea of a tournament ball, while the USGA technical director Dick Rugge spins the debate in a new way.

"We don't believe that would be fair," said Rugge. "Any ball (and set of specifications) you pick will be good for some golfers and not good for some golfers. You create a non-level playing field. We wouldn't favor that any more than we would favor one standard club or one standard pair of shoes or glove. Those are all personal choices."

Of course, none of the folks supporting a tournament ball concept advocate only one cover design or one manufacturer making such a ball. Nor is the tournament ball idea any more unfair than the current launch monitor driven nonsense approved by the USGA, and which has widened the gap between those at the high end of the clubhead speed spectrum, and those who are merely average.

Meanwhile, Dorman outlines how the ball would work.

"Based on what I've heard the tour say, what they would focus on would be a ball that essentially was a slower ball. The overall distance would shrink by reining in the initial velocity. You could maintain the same flight characteristics. Each manufacturer could meet those specifications. If the tour would say tomorrow here are the specs and you have to meet these specs in order for your ball to be approved, everybody could come up with a ball that met those specifications."