Golf's governing bodies in bid to curb Bryson DeChambeau's length

Stopping Bryson DeChambeau and his fellow long-hitters trying to make the likes of the Old Course at St Andrews and Augusta National look ridiculously easy looks to be a mission for golf’s governing bodies.
Bryson DeChambeau in action in the Sentry Tournament Of Champions at the Kapalua Plantation Course in Hawaii last month. Picture: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images.Bryson DeChambeau in action in the Sentry Tournament Of Champions at the Kapalua Plantation Course in Hawaii last month. Picture: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images.
Bryson DeChambeau in action in the Sentry Tournament Of Champions at the Kapalua Plantation Course in Hawaii last month. Picture: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images.

In a bold step, the R&A and USGA are proposing the introduction of a local rule to allow committees to limit the maximum length for clubs other than putters from 48 to 46 inches.

The development, which has come out of a combined project looking into the distance issue in the game, follows the spotlight turning on 48-inch drivers around the rescheduled Masters last November.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

DeChambeau had used a 46-inch driver when he overpowered Winged Foot, one of the toughest courses in major golf, to win the US Open by six shots in September.

But, in his quest to add even more length to his game, the American tested a 48-inch one in the build up to the final men’s major of the year two months later.

He eventually decided to leave that out of his bag that week, but it seemed inevitable that he’d have taken that step in big events before too long.

Club manufacturers and professional tours have until 4 March to comment on the proposal, with DeChambeau likely to have something to say in a press conference on Wednesday ahead of his appearance this week in the Saudi International.

The American is set to play in his first Open at St Andrews next year, with Gary Player believing he can use his power to hit around nine greens off the tee.

"This is not person specific," insisted R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers, speaking to the BBC.

"We were looking at this four years ago. And, in our 'Distance Insights' report, this was one of the options available to us when we were considering this back in February [2020].

"We've tried really hard in this to be agnostic to individual players, but, inevitably long hitters could be personalised in that and there is no doubt there has been a lot of players who explored the use of longer drivers, not just Bryson."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The proposal is part of the latest developments in a 'Distance Insights' project which seeks to limit driving distances, with the R&A and USGA also announcing review of club and ball specifications.

“We are now able to progress with the work on this critical topic and are beginning the next phase as expeditiously as possible,” said Slumbers.

“The research topics and the proposed changes we have announced will be the focus of our attention in the coming months and we look forward to gaining insights from the golf industry and fully understanding their perspectives on these key areas.

“We remain fully committed to conducting this hugely important exercise for the sport thoroughly, efficiently and collaboratively.”

Between now and 2 November, “areas of interest” identified by the governing bodies will be considered by the golf industry.

Also released today, the R&A and USGA 2020 Annual Driving Distance Report once again highlighted how courses are being overpowered by a combination of equipment and players like DeChambeau bulking up.

The average driving distance on both men’s and women’s tours has increased by approximately 3.2 per cent since 2003 until the end of the 2020 season.

A message from the Editor:Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers. If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.

Comments

 0 comments

Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.